NPR’s David Gura talks to Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen concerning the passage of a short-term spending invoice within the Home of Representatives.

DAVID GURA, BYLINE: I wish to usher in Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen now. He represents Maryland, which is dwelling to some 160,000 federal staff, staff who will very nicely be going again to work on Monday if this invoice passes. Senator Van Hollen additionally sits on the Senate International Relations Committee, and he is been a vocal supporter of sending assist to Ukraine, which, as you simply heard, shouldn’t be included within the momentary funding invoice the Home handed this afternoon. Senator Van Hollen, welcome to ALL THINGS CONSIDERED.

CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: It is nice to be with you. Thanks.

GURA: Let me ask you first off right here if this can be a invoice that you may help, I do know you’ve got been caucusing together with your Democratic colleagues. Is it one thing you may get behind?

VAN HOLLEN: Sure, I’ll help this invoice. I believe it is crucial that we preserve the federal government going. This invoice does that at present ranges and likewise supplies catastrophe help. So the reply is sure, I will likely be voting for this invoice.

GURA: I discussed what number of of your constituents work for the federal authorities, and I’m wondering what you’ve got been listening to from them as this deadline has grown nearer and nearer.

VAN HOLLEN: Nicely, I have been listening to quite a lot of comprehensible nervousness, not simply from federal authorities staff however from others who will likely be negatively impacted or could be negatively impacted by a shutdown, which is just about each one in all my constituents, definitely, if a shutdown had been to be extended. So avoiding that’s clearly an important step, holding the federal government open in order that we are able to deal with the opposite points as nicely.

GURA: I laid out these competing stakes right here – sure, holding the federal government open, not, at this level, sending assist to Ukraine. How do you juggle these two issues? Do you see this short-term spending invoice as a victory of any variety?

VAN HOLLEN: I do see it as a victory as a result of it retains the federal government open for 45 days. Look, I’d have relatively gotten a full yr finances handed, however given the place we’re and the place we had been, this can be a constructive step ahead. Look. I additionally want the Senate invoice. I want to have the funding for Ukraine help on this invoice. However – and I wish to emphasize this – you do have bipartisan help in each the Home and the Senate to proceed supporting the individuals of Ukraine of their battle towards Putin. And I am completely assured that we are going to get that finished within the subsequent 45 days.

GURA: What do you say to those that are characterizing this as a loss for Ukraine? There have been rising numbers of congressional Republicans questioning the U.S. monetary dedication to Ukraine, and at the moment’s occasions, I suppose, might give that extra momentum. Are you involved that you just will not be capable to pull this again in a closing deal?

VAN HOLLEN: I am completely assured that we will have continued help to Ukraine in a closing deal. I am assured that the president will converse later at the moment after the Senate passes this invoice, and the Senate will cross this invoice, underscoring, as soon as once more, our dedication to uninterrupted help for Ukraine. And once more, what we noticed within the Home was lastly Speaker McCarthy being prepared to tackle a few of his right-wing MAGA Republicans.

In fact, as a way to cross this, he wanted Democrats, and also you heard that much more Democrats voted for this than Republicans. And people Democrats are going to be insisting on help for Ukraine, for the individuals of Ukraine and their battle towards Putin’s struggle of aggression. So you could have bipartisan majorities within the Home and the Senate to try this. We simply acquired to get it finished within the subsequent 45 days. However you are in a greater place to proceed to help Ukraine when the U.S. authorities is open than when it is shut.

GURA: A lot modified between after I had breakfast and after I had my sandwich at lunch. You recognize that nicely. And I’m wondering how a lot this stunned you, this variation in trajectory that we noticed on Capitol Hill at the moment.

VAN HOLLEN: Sure, it was a shock. We anticipated to have a cloture vote right here within the Senate, that means to recover from 70 votes, Democrats and Republicans, to ship the Democratic and Republican invoice over to the Home. That had been the trajectory once we awakened this morning. The Home clearly took this motion, and so issues have modified. One factor that has not modified, although, is our dedication to be sure that we get funds to help the individuals of Ukraine. And as I mentioned, higher to have the federal government open than shut as we attempt to try this.

GURA: If this passes, you and your colleagues have 45 days to search out some center floor. Your crystal ball is best than mine with regards to what is going on to occur with Congress. How doubtless do you see issues altering, that you just see some comedy and sides coming collectively right here once more if this invoice passes over the subsequent 45 days?

VAN HOLLEN: Nicely, what you see is the start, a little bit crack within the Home the place Speaker McCarthy, till at the moment, had been basically doing the bidding of the very far-right wing of his caucus, the MAGA wing of his caucus. So this may increasingly – however I hesitate simply to say might – open that door additional to bipartisan motion within the Home of Representatives. Democrats had been important to getting this finished. We do count on – many individuals count on a problem, Speaker McCarthy coming as early as subsequent week from inside his caucus. So to ensure that us to get stuff finished, we’ll need to do it collectively, Democrats and Republicans.

GURA: That is Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland. Senator, thanks for the time.

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