Statement by Press Secretary Jay Carney on House Passage of the Three-Week Continuing Resolution

The short-term funding bill passed in the House of Representatives today gives Congress some breathing room to find consensus on a long-term measure that funds the government through the end of the fiscal year.  The President urges the Senate to pass this bill to avoid a government shutdown that would be harmful to our economic recovery.  But the President has been clear: with the wide range of issues facing our nation, we cannot keep funding the government in two or three week increments.  It is time for us to come together, find common ground and resolve this issue in a sensible way.   There is no disagreement on whether to cut spending to put us on a path to live within our means, but we can’t sacrifice critical investments that will help us out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build our global competitors to win the future.  We have already met Republicans halfway, and we are optimistic that Congress can get this done.