FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 22, 2017

Contact: Allie Aguilera, allie.aguilera@younginvincibles.org, 202.734.6529

WASHINGTON- Last night, Congress passed a short-term continuing resolution that will ensure the federal government is funded until January 19. Maintaining an open and functioning federal government is important, but it is also the bare minimum of competent governance. The people of this country deserve better. Simply level funding crucial programs that young people rely on doesn’t provide a sustainable path forward for so many who are struggling. A government on autopilot is not responsive to the changing demands of our economy and is an irresponsible approach to addressing the economic insecurity of our generation.

The bill does authorize emergency funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program — only a temporary respite for families because Congressional Republicans refuse to pass a bipartisan Senate bill to reauthorize the program, in spite of its overwhelming bipartisan popularity over the last two decades. Nine million low- and moderate-income families rely on CHIP to meet their children’s health needs, and thousands have already received letters threatening their child’s health care access within weeks if the program is not fully reauthorized. Any January spending deal must reauthorize CHIP and end this tortuous standoff.

Finally, this holiday season, Republican Congressional leadership are headed home while hundreds of thousands of young immigrants wonder if next year they’ll be forced to celebrate in a country they’ve never known. This abdication of responsibility creates the possibility that people return from the holidays to find that another member of their community is missing — maybe their child’s favorite teacher, their aging parents’ caretaker, or a local small business owner. To continue to kick this problem down the road is cruel and unnecessary: the DREAM Act is bipartisan, popular, and ready for a vote now. And DREAMers deserve that vote.

“The continuing resolution avoided a government shutdown but it does not address some of the most pressing priorities facing our generation and nation,” said Young Invincibles Government Affairs Director Reid Setzer. “Resolution on both CHIP and DREAM is urgently needed. Young Invincibles calls on Congressional leadership to include both policy solutions in the final January spending deal.”