[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 207 (Friday, December 22, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H15578-H15579]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE REPUBLICAN BUDGET SHUTDOWN

  (Mr. VENTO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. VENTO. Mr. Speaker, there are 10 reasons why the Republican 
shutdown is a bad tactic.
  First, a bad Republican reconciliation bill does not get better with 
the shutdown of government and intimidation.
  Second, Republicans cannot say budget numbers count but people 
numbers do not count.
  Third, 250,000 Federal workers that are not working and 500,000 that 
are working want to be paid, and they want to work and they are going 
to tell the world about it.
  Fourth, a bad Republican reconciliation bill which fails on its 
merits does not benefit from yet more attention.

[[Page H15579]]

  Fifth, the Congress speaks with 535 mixed voices, hardly a Christmas 
hymn, the administration but one.
  Sixth, repeating the balanced budget mantra does not cause the public 
to go into a trance. They are awake and aware--
  Seventh, Republicans trying to undo the shutdown they caused on a 
piecemeal basis to get out the checks on a reasonable basis is seen as 
and is political posturing.
  Eighth, paying government workers for not working when they want to 
work is a syllogism that has a faulty premise. You fail the logic test.
  Ninth, when the Republicans are 3 months late doing their job, it is 
best not to call attention to it.
  Finally, with a Speaker with a name like Gingrich, it sounds too much 
like ``Grinch,'' not a warm, fuzzy image of Boys' Town but rather the 
Medicare withering on the vine image persists.
  I think we have to understand the congressional responsibility and 
realize we ought to get on with our work and pass a CR and a reasonable 
budget on their merits--not on shutting down the Federal Government.

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