[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 205 (Wednesday, December 20, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H15213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AND OTHERS HURT DUE TO SHUTDOWN CAUSED BY 
                         DISAGREEMENT ON BUDGET

  (Mrs. MORELLA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, we hear there is a ray of light and hope 
in the Budget Balancing Act that is going on. I certainly hope so, 
because it is about time. I urge the President to work with the 
leadership to develop the balanced budget plan.
  We have 260,000 families who have been furloughed, Federal employees 
furloughed. And their families and their friends, they are worried, 
demoralized, filled with anguish, lacking self-esteem, and here it is 
during a holiday season. They do want to work.
  I have also heard from Federal employees who are not furloughed. They 
are frustrated that they cannot get their work done during the 
shutdown. It poses serious threats when a pharmacist cannot send out a 
prescription, NIH must stop research and CDC has furloughed 61 percent 
of its employees.
  Some of the other effects of the shutdown will cost $40 million a day 
in lost wages in the private sector. For each day of the shutdown 2,500 
families will not be able to close on their mortgages because new 
Federal housing insurance guarantees were stopped, removing $200 
million a day in housing transacted from the economy. Two hundred sixty 
businesses that receive SBA loans will not get financing, and maybe 
later on welfare and veterans benefits will be delayed. Let us get on 
and let the light shine through and come to a conclusion.

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