[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 180 (Tuesday, November 14, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H12198-H12199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               INTRODUCTION OF THE NO BUDGET, NO PAY ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Pryce). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of May 12, 1995, the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Durbin] is 
recognized during morning business for 3 minutes.
  Mr. DURBIN. Madam Speaker, America deserves better. Our Government is 
shut down. We are now in a governmental paralysis here in Washington.
  And why? It is a politically created crisis. It is not a crisis that 
came because of the force of nature. It is something that was created 
by the force of politicians.
  The Gingrich-led Congress has brought to us in the last year a record 
of mismanagement. They brought the Contract With America to the floor, 
31 bills, and they published them in the TV Guide. Three of the thirty-
one were signed into law, and we wasted 100 days that could have been 
spent on making certain that Congress did its work, and then, of 
course, the Gingrich-led Congress failed to meet its responsibilities.
  They were required under law to produce 13 appropriations bills for 
the President's signature by October 1. How many were presented? Three. 
Three of thirteen. If they had done their job and presented the bills, 
we would not be in this crisis today.
  Let me add, too, that during this year, with the Gingrich-led 
Congress, we have seen special interests swarming through the Halls of 
Capitol Hill. They have been pushing for amendments, outrageous 
amendments.
  Let me give an example of some. First, to cut education. The banking 
interests came in and forced a change which will increase the costs of 
student loans by $10 billion. Kids from working families trying to get 
an education, trying to make it, will face more debt because the 
Gingrich-led Republicans have bowed to the banking interests.
  Then, of course, there is the environmental agenda of the Gingrich 
Congress. Amazing. Amazing that in one bill, in 28 pages, they wanted 
to repeal 14 different environmental protection laws, including the 
right of the Federal Government to monitor arsenic in drinking water. 
``Did he say arsenic in drinking water?'' Yes, that was one of the 
bills that they wanted to repeal.
  Think about that for a second, the extremism of the Gingrich-led 
environmental agenda.
  But one of the worst, of course, is their proposal to increase 
Medicare 

[[Page H 12199]]
premiums on seniors by 25 percent. They want to cut Medicare to balance 
the budget.
  We all know that changes must be made in Medicare so it will be 
preserved and strong for years to come. But the Gingrich Republicans 
have just gone too far. It has been unfortunately, under the Gingrich 
leadership, a time of crises and chaos.
  But no surprise. Listen to the Speaker on the Sunday morning talk 
shows, and I quote him, ``I will cooperate, but I will never 
compromise.'' Those are not the words of a person who sits down at a 
negotiating table looking for a solution. That is the kind of growling 
and grousing and political rhetoric that most people are sick and tired 
of.
  I have a proposal to change this and end this crisis immediately. It 
is called no budget, no pay. We are sending 800,000 Federal workers 
home today without pay. But guess what, Members of Congress still get 
their paycheck. So I introduced a bill on September 22 that said if 
Members of Congress do not keep Government running, default on the 
national debt, then, frankly, they do not get their paychecks. If we 
turned off the TV cameras and stopped the congressional paychecks, I 
predict this crisis would be over in 15 minutes.

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