Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement after the Senate passed a funding bill to avoid a government shutdown. The bill funds military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs through the next year, the rest of the government through December 9th and provides $1.1 billion to address the Zika virus outbreak in the United States:

“I’m pleased that the Senate was able to find a compromise that averts a government shutdown, keeps our promise to our nation’s veterans and provides the critical funds necessary to combat the Zika virus. House and Senate leaders were also able to find a separate path forward on providing assistance to the people of Flint, Michigan.

“However, I remain incredibly frustrated by the partisan bickering and dangerous gamesmanship that has become a stain on our appropriations process in recent years and undermined public confidence in Congress.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues to rebuild the public’s trust by putting together an omnibus package that will fund the entire federal government through the next year.”

Seismic safety amendment

The bill also includes a Feinstein amendment to allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to advance critical seismic safety-related construction projects at facilities in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Long Beach, as well as projects to expand clinical services in Alameda, Fremont, and the Central Valley. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that California suffers a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake every 6.3 years, on average. It also reports that California’s risk of being struck by a magnitude 8.0 or greater earthquake has increased by nearly 50 percent since the agency completed its last estimate in 2008.