WASHINGTON, DC – On September 21, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) voted to pass H.R. 5305, the Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act, critical legislation to secure emergency funding to help New York rebuild in the wake of Hurricane Ida, provide funding to help resettle Afghan refugees, and keep the federal government open. H.R. 5305 would also raise the debt ceiling, preventing the United States from defaulting on our national debt, which would have a catastrophic impact on the American economy.

“Voting to keep the federal government open and to prevent a default is the responsible course of action as our economy continues to rebound from the COVID-19 crisis,” said Congresswoman Maloney. "We cannot afford to derail our economic growth and put the livelihoods of American families at risk. Also included in this must-pass legislation is key funding to help New York and other communities in the wake of Hurricane Ida and for Afghan refugees. Senate Republicans need to quit holding the American economy hostage and join Democrats in swiftly passing this commonsense bill.”

“Addressing the debt limit is a bipartisan responsibility. Over the last decade, every time the debt limit has needed to be addressed, Congress has come together and acted on a bipartisan basis. Over his four-year term, President Trump incurred $7.8 trillion in debt – and during those four years, Republicans and Democrats worked together to increase or suspend the debt limit three separate times. Now, under President Biden, many Republicans refuse to join Democrats in addressing the debt limit. This is blatantly hypocritical, given that only 3 percent of the current debt was accumulated under President Biden and more than 27 percent was incurred under President Trump.”

Background

H.R. 5305:

Secures government funding through December 2021, ensuring the uninterrupted operations of essential government services and allowing for Democrats and Republicans in Congress to continue to advance appropriations priorities through the regular order process for Fiscal Year 2022.

Delivers emergency funding for urgent priorities, including relief funding for communities devastated by this summer’s record-breaking natural disasters and funding to resettle Afghan refugees after the historic evacuation effort in August.

Suspends the debt ceiling through December 2022, so that the federal government can continue to meet the financial obligations it has already made, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, services for veterans, and paychecks for members of the military.