[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 183 (Friday, November 17, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S17331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            NO BUDGET-NO PAY

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, we are in day 4 of the partial shutdown of 
the Federal Government. It is causing harm to many people in this 
country who require and need the services of the Federal Government, be 
they veteran, be they the elderly, or be they the business community. 
One example is someone desperately needed a passport in order to 
conduct some very important business for a small business, was denied 
it, and missed a chance maybe at the American dream. So we are dealing 
with a very serious circumstance.
  There is 1 Federal employee who is getting paid during this period. 
They are all getting docked except for the Members of the Senate and 
the Members of the House.
  I took to the floor last night with Senator Snowe and Senator Harkin 
to protest this situation. Where we stand is that the bill, the no 
budget-no pay bill, is stuck in the DC conference. And who knows? It 
may never emerge because the Speaker of the House is not pushing the no 
budget-no pay bill.
  Senator Snowe and I authored another bill, and we have been trying to 
get it before this body. The Republican side of the aisle has objected. 
Maybe they will not object tonight. Last night, the excuse was, gee, 
everyone had to go home. We cannot take it up. Well, what about today? 
We waited. Senator Snowe was working hard to get it through. We could 
not get it.
  Some of my colleagues are making charitable contributions. Some are 
leaving their money in escrow. Some are giving it back. And that is 
noble. But this is not about the good guys doing something; this is 
about institutional failure.
  In case, my colleague, you want to know what people think about this, 
look at the poll in the San Francisco Examiner. They put out a 
telephone poll, and it came back today. Eighty-nine percent say we 
should not get our pay during the shutdown. By the way, they included 
the President, which our bill includes, and 11 percent say we should. 
That 11 percent maybe is our relatives.

  But I have to tell you. This is a total and complete outrage. We 
should be treated like every other Federal employee. Our staffs are 
working into the night, and they are being docked. But not us.
  So I ask unanimous consent that the Senate immediately proceed 
tonight to the Snowe-Boxer bill. I make that request.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mrs. BOXER. Further, since it has been objected to, I ask unanimous 
consent that we go to the Snowe-Boxer bill the first thing in the 
morning.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
  Mrs. BOXER. Let me just say, is the time mine, Mr. President?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is no time. The Senator from California 
has the floor.
  Mrs. BOXER. Thank you very much. I want to express my disappointment 
and my despair of this. We should not treat ourselves better than our 
own staff. We should not treat ourselves better than the good people 
who work for the Federal Government. I think now that we finally have 
seen the light here. There was an objection yesterday, there is an 
objection today, there is an objection for tomorrow, and I will be back 
in the morning making the same unanimous-consent request.
  I am sad to say--I thought the Senate was bipartisan on this. Senator 
Snowe has 27 Members in a bipartisan way on this bill, but you hear 
objection from the leadership, the Republican leadership, of the 
Senate. And I hope people let them know that they are wrong, that this 
is wrong.
  Mr. BIDEN addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Delaware.
  Mr. BIDEN. I will be brief. I know the Republican whip wants to 
speak.
  Mr. President, I do not want to repeat what I said last night. I 
agree with Senator Boxer, Senator Snowe, and Senator Harkin about the 
fact that we should not be getting paid. I will not elaborate. I think 
it speaks for itself. It is clear.

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