Last week, House Republicans passed a clean, seven-week continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open and fund critical services, including pay for our troops, veteran services, law enforcement and border security. This CR contains no poison pills or partisan priorities – yet nearly every Democrat voted against it, forcing the federal government into a shutdown.

Instead of getting on board with the clean funding bill, Democrats have introduced an alternative bill filled with partisan demands that would only extend government funding for four weeks. Their bill includes $1.5 trillion in spending hike – the third largest spending bill in history – which would take hard-earned money out of your pocket to reinstate taxpayer funded health care for illegals, cut $50 billion in investment for rural health care, and would give billions of dollars in unchecked foreign aid. Unlike the House-passed CR, the Democrat proposal is a partisan pipe dream that has no chance of becoming law.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have historically believed that a government shutdown would hurt the American people; that no matter your differences, a government shutdown would be foolish. I agree, yet here we are. Not to mention, during the Biden Administration, the democrats passed on thirteen different occasions, virtually the exact same clean short-term spending bill that we are considering now. There was no shutdown during the Biden era. Why? Because Republicans acted in a bipartisan fashion to do the right thing and put our differences aside to keep the government open. So, why won’t Democrats do the same now?

The solution is clear. Democrats need to put partisanship aside and pass the clean CR to allow Congress the time it needs to finalize full-year spending bills through regular order. By failing to do so, Democrats have chosen to shut down the government. I have done my job, along with House Republicans, by voting to keep the government open and accessible for the American people.

Congressman Jeff Crank is currently serving his first term in Congress as the Representative of the 5th district of Colorado.