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Pappas Votes Against Destructive Continuing Resolution

March 11, 2025

CR threatens Social Security benefits, worsens housing insecurity, and turns our back on our veterans and local law enforcement.

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) released the following statement after voting against the full-year continuing resolution proposed by Speaker Johnson: 

“Today I voted no on this highly partisan continuing resolution which abandons bipartisanship and fails the American people. As I travel across New Hampshire and hear from constituents, they continue to tell me about the need for Washington to work together and solve problems, including the high cost of living. This measure fails to deliver for our communities. Instead, this bill will hurt hard-working families who would lose housing support, jeopardizes access to veterans' benefits, and cuts public safety funding for our local police departments, all while giving Elon Musk and the administration unchecked power to gut critical programs and fire the people who serve the American people.”

“I hope that Speaker Johnson will come back to the table to negotiate a funding agreement as we ought to do every year. I’m ready to help pass a truly bipartisan short-term continuing resolution that keeps the government open so we can work together on a bill that won’t leave families, seniors, and veterans out in the cold.”

The full-year continuing resolution fails to lower costs for Granite Staters and undermines public health and safety. The bill: 

Cuts rent subsidies for working Americans by more than $700 million, leaving landlords to foot the bill for or evict more than 32,000 households including veterans, survivors of domestic violence, seniors, and families with disabilities.

  • Reneges on veterans’ medical care and creates future uncertainty. More veterans are enrolled in VA care than ever. While the bill includes $6 billion to address an immediate funding shortfall, it fails to include $22.8 billion in advanced funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund to guarantee future care for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances included in last year’s funding bill. It also frees Elon Musk and President Trump to redirect funding meant for homelessness assistance grants, mental health care, rural health, opioid and substance abuse programs, some oncology programs, and caregivers support, however they see fit.
  • Would allow Elon Musk and President Trump to fire thousands of employees at the Social Security Administration, which would result in closures of Social Security offices, increased wait times, and unacceptable backlogs for Americans trying to access their earned benefits.
  • Harms our local police and community efforts to prevent crime, strengthen public safety, and provide victim services by cutting a combined $597 million from COPS grants and Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, a 37% and 38% funding cut for each program respectively, forcing our local police and prosecutors to do more with less.