[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 3, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H59]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            U.S. GOVERNMENT IN A STATE OF POLITICAL DISORDER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Ohio [Ms. Kaptur] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I looked at my dictionary, Webster's 
dictionary, before I came down here this evening and saw that it 
defines anarchy as the absence of government; a state of political 
disorder.
  Well, folks, that is where we are tonight, and I was reminded of that 
even more when someone from the other body, from Texas, who aspires to 
the highest office in this land, appeared on the David Brinkley show 
last Sunday. For those of my colleagues who may have missed it, that 
individual taunted the audience with this question about the Government 
shutdown. He said, ``Have you missed the Government? I mean, doesn't it 
strike you as funny that 280,000 Government employees are furloughed 
and large segments of the Government of the United States are shut 
down?''
  Well, let me give that fellow from Texas a heavy dose of reality.

                              {time}  1900

  I hate to burst his bubble, but I have a list here of residents of 
the Ninth Congressional District of Ohio who would respectfully beg to 
differ with him. As a matter of fact, no, it does not strike them as 
funny that much of our Government is shut down.
  For example, Jan, a student from Toledo, was supposed to start school 
this week, but now will not be able to because of this budget impasse. 
Jan called me and said, and I quote her directly, ``My financial aid 
papers can't be processed until the Department of Education gets up and 
running, and I can't start school without having the paperwork 
processed.'' She said there are ``millions of students like me.'' Well, 
she does not think it is very funny.
  Two disabled veterans from our community, Gary and Tom, called our 
office to say that they were very upset that their compensation checks 
are late. They asked me, ``How are we supposed to pay our bills?'' They 
represent millions of disabled veterans.
  Another veteran in my district, Charles, of Oregon, OH, is 76 years 
old and receives railroad retirement, which he earned. He asked me, 
``How come they cut my check by $124?'' The veterans of my district, 
and all veterans all over our Nation, know what some elected officials 
clearly do not know. They do not get it. They do not know that in 
response to this shutdown, railroad retirement reduced its benefit 
payments by 64 percent; that the December 22 continuing resolution 
which provided continuing funding for certain veterans benefits and 
payments expires today; that contractors providing services and 
supplies to hospitals will not be paid and benefits for January will 
not be paid on February 1.

  Approximately 170,000 veterans did not receive their December 
Montgomery GI bill education benefits and will not receive benefits 
this month.
  These are the same men and women who have served our country in times 
of crisis, the soldiers and families who have given above and beyond 
the call of duty in defense of this Nation, yet some would dishonor 
their honorable service by saying it is funny that we are leaving them 
high and dry.
  Deborah, of Waterville, OH, called my office to say that she and her 
family departed last week for a long-awaited holiday hiking vacation at 
the Grand Canyon, but the canyon was closed due to the shutdown. She 
said, ``Please find a way to end this political nonsense now. These 
tactics affect the American citizens and many hard-working Government 
employees that now have no means to generate income for their 
families.''
  She is right. On an average day, 383,000 people visit our National 
Parks System. Losses for businesses in those communities adjacent to 
our national parks could reach $14 million a day due to reduced 
tourism. It is not funny to those people. They understand what 
governance is all about.
  Loryn, of Toledo, called my office to say that she was supposed to 
begin to study in Spain and was scheduled to leave January 5, but will 
not be able to because she cannot get her passport back from the 
passport office. She has lost $1,000 already in nonrefundable airfare 
and may lose the $5,000 paid for this semester of schooling.
  She is not alone. On an average day the State Department receives 
over 23,000 applications for passports and 20,000 visas for visitors to 
this country. To those citizens and to those visitors it is not funny 
at all.
  Jan, of Toledo, called my office to say that her son and daughter are 
serving in the Peace Corps in the Ukraine, and guess what. Their 
stipends for service were cut off. It is not funny to them.
  Let us bring up the Dole bill, pass it, and put America on the right 
track again, and tell the gentleman from the other body that his 
irresponsible comments border on anarchy.

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