"Because a new budget deal could not be reached by this past Friday, today I am voting to pass a two-month extension of the current FY budget.

"Our government employs about a quarter million hard-working men and women, and those people have families - not to mention that they agencies they run are crucial to the 19 million people of New York State. Shutting down the government and depriving people of paychecks and vital public services was not an option.

"There are some bright spots in the budget extender, including increased funding for home health care aides and crucial upgrades to I878. These are wins to celebrate. But there's a lot more work to do. We'll be working day in and day out to make sure we come up with a compromise that's fair, transparent and fully funds our vital services."