WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott led 19 of his colleagues in demanding that Majority Leader Chuck Schumer present a plan to the Republican Conference for how the Senate will take up and pass the 12 appropriations bills already approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee in a manner that respects an open amendment process and avoids a December omnibus spending package. This letter comes with just 44 days of government funding remaining following the passage of a Continuing Resolution last week.

Senator Scott is joined on the letter by Senators John Thune, John Barrasso, Joni Ernst, Shelley Moore Capito, Mike Braun, Katie Britt, Ted Budd, John Cornyn, Ted Cruz, Kevin Cramer, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Ron Johnson, Mike Lee, Cynthia Lummis, Roger Marshall, Eric Schmitt, Thom Tillis, Tommy Tuberville and Roger Wicker.

Earlier today, Senator Scott joined Senator Pete Ricketts and 11 of their Republican colleagues in another letter to Leader Schumer urging him to keep the U.S. Senate in session until all 12 appropriations bills have been debated and passed by the Senate. Right now, the Senate is expected to recess for a state work period beginning this Thursday, October 5, and ending on Monday, October 16.

Read the full letter HERE or below. Read more in The Hill HERE.

Dear Leader Schumer:

The core constitutional responsibility of the United States Congress is the power of the purse, to set and authorize appropriations which fund the operations of the United States Government. Since 1977, Congress has only successfully completed its appropriations work of taking up, debating, amending if necessary, and passing all appropriations bills prior to the end of the fiscal year on September 30^th four times. This is unacceptable. The American people deserve better.

Today, despite being past the September 30^th deadline, with the Senate Appropriations Committee having already passed each of the 12 bills for our chamber, we have the best opportunity in decades to complete our work. We urge you to present a plan to the Republican Conference for how you intend to pass the remaining appropriations bills and conference them with the House in a manner that respects an open amendment process and which does not end in a December omnibus spending package.

This is a matter of the utmost importance. Nothing can stand in the way of this work. For this reason, we the undersigned senators pledge to withhold our support for any vote to proceed to items unrelated to appropriations bills.

Just 44 days remain until government funding once again expires on November 17^th. There is no more important work for the Senate during this time than debating, amending and passing appropriations bills without resorting to a giant package dumped on the conference right before the December holiday. If you commit to this process, including an open amendment process, we believe there will be consent in the Senate to expeditiously consider these bills.

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