Schumer lists rail safety, lowering insulin costs as top priorities for rest of 2024

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) circulated a letter to Senate colleagues Sunday afternoon warning them of the looming government funding deadline of Sept. 30 and highlighting rail safety legislation and proposals to lower the cost of insulin and prescription drugs as top priorities remaining in 2024.

Schumer also said he would make it a priority to continue confirming President Biden’s judicial and executive branch nominees over the next four months, as Democrats are in danger of losing their Senate majority.

The Democratic leader warned that failure to extend government funding past the end of the month would threaten “crucial funding for health care, infrastructure, education, food safety, veterans, border security, U.S. competitiveness and more.”

He reiterated that Democrats will support a continuing resolution to keep the government funding for a few weeks or months but emphasized that they will not support controversial Republican policy riders, such as a the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require people to show proof of citizenship when they register to vote.

“As I have said before, the only way to get things done is a bipartisan way. Despite Republican bluster, that is how we’ve handled every funding bill in the past, and this time should be no exception. We will not let poison pills or Republican extremism put funding for critical programs at risk,” he said.

House Republican leaders Friday unveiled a 46-page plan to fund the government until March 28, 2025, which includes the proposal to require proof of citizenship during voter registration.

Schumer in a joint statement with Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) warned last week that “avoiding a government shutdown requires bipartisanship, not a bill drawn up by one party.”

Looking beyond this month’s funding deadline, Schumer said he still hopes to finish several delayed priorities before the 118th Congress adjourns before January.

“There are still opportunities for bipartisan cooperation on NDAA, rail safety, lowering the cost of insulin and prescription drugs, and artificial intelligence, among others,” Schumer wrote, referring to the National Defense Authorization Act, which lawmakers say likely won’t reach the floor until after the election.

“While we won’t be able to achieve all of these goals before the election, it is my hope that our Republican colleagues will work with us to make as much progress as possible,” he wrote.

“Finding compromise is never easy, but we know it is the only path to achieving results for the American people. Our caucus unity has been the key to our success, so I want to thank each of you for all your work to find compromise whenever possible,” he added.

Schumer also highlighted the bipartisan accomplishments of the past 18 months, such as the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and the Federal Aviation Administration, along with military aid for Ukraine and Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza.

“We’ve secured vital disaster relief funding, passed legislation to protect kids safety online and more,” he wrote.

He said he is urging House Republicans to take up and pass two Senate-approved bills to protect kids surfing the web, the Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act.

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