AFT President Randi Weingarten on Republicans’ Government Funding Bill

For Immediate Release
December 21, 2017

Contact:
Marcus Mrowka
202-531-0689
mmrowka@aft.org
www.aft.org

AFT President Randi Weingarten on Republicans’ Government Funding Bill

WASHINGTON—Statement of AFT President Randi Weingarten on the Republicans’ shortterm
government funding bill:

“While averting a government shutdown, this bill falls short of what the American people
expect from their government. The Republicans failed to pass a long-term solution to fund
the Children’s Health Insurance Program, threatening the healthcare of millions of children
and making it impossible for states to figure out how to budget for this program next year.
The Republicans failed to pass the Dream Act, jeopardizing the futures of 800,000 students,
teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers and other young people who played by the rules, did
everything we told them to do and now face the threat of deportation. The Republicans failed
to pass a disaster relief bill that adequately addresses the needs of Americans still recovering
from this year’s hurricanes and natural disasters—especially in Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Islands, where the federal response has been woefully inadequate. And the Republicans
failed to lift the arbitrary sequester caps that hamper investments in programs that help
working families. While the Republicans passed a bill so they could get home for the
holidays—the day after passing a tax bill to reward their donors and the rich—these priorities
of the American people remain outstanding and demand swift action in January.”