{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/_murphy-statement-on-senate-passage-of-omnibus-legislation-to-fund-the-government-connecticut-priorities", "MURPHY STATEMENT ON SENATE PASSAGE OF OMNIBUS LEGISLATION TO FUND THE GOVERNMENT, CONNECTICUT PRIORITIES", "2014-12-13", "2014", "2014-12", "Democrat", "House", "CT", "Christopher Murphy", "M001169", "www.murphy.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "MURPHY STATEMENT ON SENATE PASSAGE OF OMNIBUS LEGISLATION TO FUND THE GOVERNMENT, CONNECTICUT PRIORITIES\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSaturday, December 13, 2014\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWASHINGTON \u2013 Today, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) released the following statement on passage of the omnibus appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2015. This bill will fund government operations through September, 2015. Voting for the budget bill today was a tough decision for me. The process that led to this package is another unfortunate example of the dysfunction that has become the norm in Congress, and I\u2019m unhappy with a number of the unrelated policy provisions that were dropped in at the last minute. I\u2019m particularly troubled by a measure that will likely lead to reduced benefits for thousands of beneficiaries of multiemployer pension plans. In short, this is no way to conduct policy, and as an incoming member of the Appropriations Committee, I intend to work with my colleagues in the next Congress to try to reverse the worst of these provisions. But the alternative to passing this bill would be worse\u2014 another short-term continuing resolution or a government shutdown. Either would inflict real pain on millions of people in Connecticut and across the country. And while there are a number of things I disagree with in this bill, there are also incredibly important priorities that must not be left behind. For one, the bill appropriates billions of dollars to fight Ebola here and overseas\u2014funding that is nothing short of critical to combat this public health nightmare. If this bill fails, the U.S. cannot fight Ebola effectively.\u00a0 The bill also supports Connecticut\u2019s economy in major ways, including even more funding than the President originally requested for critical defense programs that are the lifeblood of Connecticut\u2019s economy. This bill will surge manufacturing with more Blackhawk helicopters, F135 engines for the Joint Strike Fighter and research and development for new submarines and Combat Rescue Helicopters. For the hardworking men and women in Connecticut\u2019s defense industry, it\u2019s a bigger win than we even expected. Important initiatives to establish advanced manufacturing centers to help grow Connecticut\u2019s next generation of manufacturing industries, and provisions that will support conservation efforts in Connecticut and elsewhere, are further reason to endorse this bill. The bottom line, however, is that Congress needs to stop lurching from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis. Once again, members of the Senate were faced with a take-it-or-leave-it deal at the last minute. Because we don\u2019t work together like we should, it\u2019s become nearly impossible to pass appropriations bills on time and to fund the government in a responsible way. It is my sincere hope that next year will see an end to brinksmanship and a return to regular order\u2014and working toward that goal will be one of my top priorities as a new member of the Appropriations Committee next Congress.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.murphy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/_murphy-statement-on-senate-passage-of-omnibus-legislation-to-fund-the-government-connecticut-priorities"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.4679878950119019, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}