[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 3, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H57-H58]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WE ARE OUR BROTHERS' AND SISTERS' KEEPERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee] is recognized for 5 minutes.

[[Page H58]]

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I think the question that we 
all are facing is a simple proposition; that we all are brothers' and 
sisters' keepers. We have heard from those who want to follow the 
current pulse of America that most Americans are not concerned about 
this business here. In fact, we find that maybe about 80 percent of the 
Federal employees are, in fact, working. So all that we are doing here 
is creating noise and disturbance.
  But I know America better, and I know what the fabric and the heart 
of Americans are all about. Americans are caring people, and we are 
wise people as well, and we recognize that a government defaulted and 
undermined and demoralized is not a functioning government, and that is 
what we have today.
  We have it because the Speaker of this House has refused to accept 
the responsibility of governance. It is all right to campaign and to 
share with those who would listen to your political philosophy and tag 
it as a contract on America, or a new day for America, or a new deal, 
but it is the next thing to translate those activities into governance, 
into making America work, into making this country function and to be 
responsible for this country's future.
  Mr. Speaker, there are faces to this tragedy, this Government 
shutdown, and so today I am filing a continuing resolution that will 
allow this Government to open today and to fund most Government 
operations at 90 percent funding, and to pay those furloughed Federal 
employees. Because I know what the responsibility is of legislators and 
this House that has the power of the purse strings of this Nation.
  First, it was to pass appropriations bills before November. This was 
not done by this Republican majority. But then it was to have a sense 
of humanity and dignity and believing in the integrity of this 
Congress, which is to not allow the least of our brothers and sisters 
to be able to go without food, like those in my community working at 
the Veterans' Administration Hospital. Employees that, in fact, are not 
able to pay their rent. They are being evicted and their child, a 
disabled individual, is not able to go to that particular day care.
  Or another person who calls and says, and she happens to be in a 
Republican Member's district, but calling and pleading with me, she 
needs food to eat now and her child is in need of constant medical 
attention. She still has medical coverage, but she will not be able to 
pay the premiums.
  Or another NASA employee that says help us get back to work. And then 
a senior citizen, likewise in a surrounding area, but calling me out of 
pain, saying the cuts the Republicans are proposing to make in Congress 
are terrible and a grave injustice to the disabled and the elderly.
  What about those small businesses which have become the backbone of 
America, particularly as corporate America is downsizing, AT&T 
eliminating 40,000 jobs. Well, let me tell my colleagues, we are losing 
some $40 million a day in being unable to help our small businesses 
under the Small Business Administration; 225 small businesses are not 
being able to receive loan moneys so that they can keep their doors 
open, and so they can hire people and create jobs for America.
  I think it is important today to ask that this continuing resolution 
be passed. I am also going to make an inquiry into the Department of 
the Agriculture because many of our citizens need food stamps, and we 
need to have a waiver of requirements to help people stay away from the 
brink of disaster.
  And last, we have a situation where our States do not know what to 
do. Many who are not able to get unemployment insurance, the doors are 
closed because the moneys coming from the Federal Government are no 
longer here. We are in a constitutional crisis. This Nation is frankly 
being brought to its knees and we are bleeding.
  And now, as we have said in times past about stop the bleeding when 
there has been violence among our youth, we are doing violence to 
Americans, and I simply cannot believe that we live in a nation where 
someone would say, ``I have got mine, you get yours.''
  I ask the Republicans to join me in my continuing resolution to open 
the doors of this Government until January 19 so that we can discuss 
the philosophical differences, but we can stop the bleeding. And we can 
ensure that we have the kind of humanity that would allow this citizen 
to get food to eat, and disabled children to go to the day care that 
they need.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time now for the politics to be put aside. We have 
to govern, and we have to govern for all of America.

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