[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 181 (Wednesday, November 15, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17062-S17063]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     A FIGHT ABOUT AMERICA'S FUTURE

  Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, as you know, I am a Senator from 
Maryland, but I am a Senator not only from Maryland but I am a Senator 
for Maryland. I represent a State that is the host agency to some of 
the most important Federal agencies in the United States of America: 
The National Institutes of Health, Goddard, the Federal Drug 
Administration, Andrews Air Force Base, the home of the President's 
own; the U.S. Naval Academy.
  I come to the Senate floor today to tell you I am absolutely opposed 
to the continuation of this Government shutdown. It is terrible for 
Federal employees, it is unfair to the taxpayers of the United States, 
it has a tremendous negative impact on the State of Maryland, and I 
believe it compromises America's public health and safety, and I think 
it threatens our American global reputation.
  Today is the second day of the Federal Government shutdown. No end is 
in sight. We are in gridlock, we are in deadlock, and I think that that 
is a disgrace.
  Now what is this fight all about? Presidential politics? Yes, but 
this is a fight also about America's future, about our priorities, 
about our values, what kind of Nation we are going to be, how do we 
preserve the economic security for senior citizens and provide economic 
opportunity for young people? That is what the national debate should 
be all about, but we should not have to shut down the Federal 
Government to have a conversation about America's future.
  That is why I absolutely support the effort of Senator Tom Daschle, a 
Democrat, to call for a continuing resolution for at least 5 days to 5 
weeks, a cooling-off period where there are no gimmicks, there are no 
riders, no blackmail, where the leadership of this Nation, Republican 
and Democrat, can sit down and negotiate really in not what is in a 
political party's interest, but what is in the national interest.
  We must seek the sensible center. We must find an answer to balancing 
the budget and balancing our priorities at the same time. That is what 
we should be doing, but we should not be making pawns of Federal 
employees.
  Right now, 800,000 Federal employees were told that they were not 
essential and sent home. How demeaning. How demeaning to those 
scientists at NIH. How disgraceful to say that to the people at FDA who 
are trying to move pharmaceutical products to the marketplace that are 
safe and effective. How demeaning to the caseworkers who take the calls 
from senior citizens applying for Social Security, and how disgraceful 
it is to those who work for the Veterans Administration, who may be 
veterans themselves--when the veterans call to apply for their 
disability, they are going to get voice mail.
  I have said to the Federal employees, ``I think you are essential. I 
want you on the job and I want you working hard for the people of the 
United States.'' And to the taxpayers listening, I hope you call this 
an outrage. Get on the phone and tell us to pass a continuing 
resolution to put those Federal employees back to work. Your 
Government, American people, should be working as hard for you as you 
work for your money.
  I think to close down the Government is an absolute insult to the 
taxpayers of the United States. We have people on furlough, we have 
jobs that need to be done, and we are playing politics, we are playing 
this kind of Mickey Mouse politics. We have to get out of the Disney 
World of Washington and stop acting like the Federal budget is some 
aspect that we can play politics with.
  Mr. President, I hope that this afternoon we give Senator Daschle the 


[[Page S17063]]
chance to offer a continuing resolution, where the Federal Government 
could be in operation for the next 3 days to the next 5 weeks. Let us 
reason together. Let us discuss these issues. Let us talk about the 
timeframe for balancing the budget. Let us include our national 
priorities--economic security for the old, opportunity for the young--
and let us reach out and not be on this side of the aisle or that side 
of the aisle. Let us go to that sensible center and put our national 
interests first, put our Federal employees back to work. Let us give 
the taxpayers a dollar's worth of Government service for a dollar's 
worth of their taxes. Then we can hold our heads up high and be proud 
that we are U.S. Senators.
  I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DOLE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Snowe). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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