House substitute for

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 7

A concurrent resolution urging the United States Congress to immediately reopen the federal government by passing a clean continuing resolution.

Whereas, The United States government has been shut down for more than 29 days, marking the second longest shutdown in our nation?s history; and

Whereas, The damaging impacts of the federal government shutdown are being felt across Michigan. Shutdowns result in most federal workers being furloughed or required to work without pay, and there are around 56,000 federal workers across our state. This prolonged shutdown could result in thousands of families struggling to make ends meet; and

Whereas, Our 1.3 million active-duty military personnel are bravely protecting and serving our country, not knowing if they will receive their next paycheck; and

Whereas, The shutdown disrupts critical services, such as food assistance programs, likely causing immediate and lasting harm: seniors will skip meals, children will go hungry, individuals with disabilities will have to pick between medication and eating, families will be forced to choose between putting food on the table and paying rent, and resource-strained communities will struggle with increased demand on food banks and emergency services; and

Whereas, There have now been 13 blocked attempts to reopen the federal government; and

Whereas, From 2021 to 2024, there were 13 separate short-term funding measures enacted by Congress; and

Whereas, Members of Congress who continue to allow this shutdown to persist should recognize these real and immediate harms and understand that partisan disagreements should not come at the expense of the American people. Differences in policy and spending priorities can and should be debated after reopening the government; and

Whereas, The state of Michigan has demonstrated the ability to prioritize people over politics. Despite deep differences in spending priorities, the Representatives and Senators of the Michigan Legislature worked together to reconfigure state budgets and delivered greater value for taxpayers while achieving earmark reform and rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse; and

Whereas, Michigan?s leaders have shown that this important work can continue while the government is operating. By adopting a temporary stopgap measure, Michigan was able to pass a responsible, bipartisan, and balanced budget that reduced spending from the previous year without jeopardizing vital public services; and

Whereas, No one wins in a government shutdown. Every day that the federal government remains closed is another day of unnecessary hardship for American families, public servants, and communities across the nation; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That we urge the United States Congress to take immediate action to reopen the federal government by passing a clean continuing resolution and to do right by the American people; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.