Clark Votes To Keep Government Running; Bipartisan Bill Does Not Address Unemployment Benefits

Editor's Note: The following is a press release from U.S. Representative Katherine Clark's Office. Clark is Framingham's congresswoman.

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Congresswoman Katherine Clark voted to support the Fiscal Year 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act on Wednesday. The House bill passed with a bipartisan majority. 

“The sequester’s misguided cuts harmed our economy and shook the American public’s faith in government.  The sequester was never meant to be a solution - only a last resort if Congress failed to produce a real budget solution.  Massachusetts families deserve better. Congress can and must do better," said Clark.

“I supported the Consolidated Appropriations Act because it takes important steps to address the harm that sequestration imposed on Massachusetts’s critical education and research investments. Vital funding has been restored for Head Start and quality pre-K initiatives. Research funding has been restored to the National Institutes of Health, a key partner in Massachusetts's economic future," said the Democratic congresswoman.  

“While I am pleased to see a bipartisan agreement on funding that will keep our government running, I am disappointed that the compromise does not address unemployment benefits for the long-term unemployed," said Clark.

"Additionally, while the National Institutes of Health did receive funding, it is still below the 2012 level.  Both of these issues must be addressed in the short-term," said Clark.  “I remain dedicated to working towards the critical fixes that this bill has missed, and I will work with anyone willing to take action to address them quickly.”