WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) voted early Friday morning for a bipartisan compromise to fund the government and provide certainty to Ohio families, businesses and military installations for two years. The budget compromise has now been sent to the House of Representatives, and Brown is urging the House to take up and pass the compromise quickly. On Wednesday, Brown announced key Ohio priorities he helped secure in the compromise, including $6 billion to tackle the opioid epidemic, funding to keep community health centers open for two more years, four additional years that will fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for a full decade, and the creation of a bipartisan House-Senate Committee to solve the pension crisis.
The bill Brown voted for Friday would keep the government open through March while Congress writes specific legislation to enact the two-year budget compromise. Brown will continue to advocate for Ohio priorities throughout that process.
“Like any compromise, neither side got exactly what it wanted in this deal. But the agreement delivers important victories for Ohio, from funding community health centers and children’s healthcare, to boosting the fight against opioids and creating a special committee to solve the pension crisis,” Brown said. “It’s past time to pass this bill and provide long-term certainty to families, businesses, and our military, instead of limping along month by month.”
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