[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 186 (Monday, November 20, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H13354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           THANKSGIVING TRUCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May 
12, 1995, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Doggett] is recognized during 
morning business for 2 minutes.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, surely all America can give thanks this 
Thanksgiving for a Thanksgiving truce in a truly senseless war. Our 
Republican colleagues in the Senate, as well as the President and his 
staff, deserve our praise for their hard work this weekend to try to 
reach a Federal budget eventually that will be balanced not only in 
terms of numbers, but in terms of the way it treats the American people 
with true fairness.
  The only way that this agreement was implemented and 800,000 Federal 
workers returned to work today is because our Democratic colleagues 
worked together here in the House. I feel good about that.
  Because of our willingness to work this weekend instead of to quit in 
the midst of a national crisis, we were here on the floor last night, 
ready to implement this agreement. Had the adjournment motion that was 
forced on us on Saturday been approved, we would have had another day 
of delay for the American people, delay that would have cost them $100 
to $150 million for our Federal workers to be idle again.
  For, you see, from the very beginning, those who forced this crisis 
intended to pay people for not working for the Federal Government. 
Eight hundred thousand people were paid for not doing any work during 
the course of this crisis. Hopefully, those in this House who were so 
very determined and who spoke with such strident comments to impose 
their will on America, that they were willing to pay these 800,000 
people not to work all of last week, those folks heard the message of 
the American people that Americans have been saying in one poll after 
another about the way this whole crisis was handled.
  To be honest, the cost of that message was fairly dear to the 
American people. I think it can be estimated at well over a half 
billion dollars--$100 to $150 million a day. Hopefully the message is 
now heard and we can refocus on budget priorities, whether we want to 
give a tax break to the most prosperous Americans or protect our people 
on Medicare and who rely on educational assistance to have a better 
tomorrow.

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