Dear Friend,  Yesterday, the House and Senate passed a bipartisan agreement to keep the government open and funded. House Democrats prevailed in resisting the House Republican Majority’s draconian 30 percent budget cut proposal that they approved on Friday. Instead, we forced a vote on legislation to temporarily avert a government shutdown for 45 days.  I am disappointed that support for Ukraine was not included in this legislation. The vast majority of Congress and the American public support continued assistance in Ukraine’s struggle against Russian aggression. Just this week I joined more than 300 of my colleagues in supporting supplemental funding to assist Ukraine. I am confident that in the coming months, public sentiment will prevail and we will vote for continued support for Ukraine.  While we averted the immediate crisis of a government shutdown, this circus was not without consequences. Hurtling from one fiscal cliff to the next is no way to govern, especially when we established a bipartisan agreement on funding levels earlier this year. We never should have been in this position to begin with, and the American people deserve better.  In the coming weeks as we work to pass long-term funding bills, I will continue fighting against cuts to the critical programs that our communities depend upon. From Social Security and veteran’s benefits to nutrition assistance and disaster relief—I will continue to champion support for programs that make our communities safer, healthier, and more economically secure.