[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 2 (Thursday, January 4, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL RISKING THEIR LIVES WITHOUT BEING PAID

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Pastor] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PASTOR. Mr. Speaker, it is very rare that I get on the floor to 
address an issue, but tonight I felt that it was important for me to do 
such a thing for two reasons.
  I found out this afternoon that along the Mexican border, the Arizona 
border, that we have Border Patrol agents and other law enforcement 
personnel who are out there enforcing the laws of this country and they 
are doing it and will do it without pay.
  There is a case in which it is a couple, man and wife, with children, 
who are employees of the Border Patrol out there on the desert, 
protecting this country from criminal activities, apprehending people 
who went across the border illegally, and yet this couple finds 
themselves today and tomorrow that they may not have the money to pay 
their mortgage or to pay their bills.
  At the veterans hospital in Phoenix, AZ, we have employees going to 
food banks in order that they can feed their children and their 
families. I agree, and very rarely do I agree with Bob Dole, but enough 
is enough.
  As the previous speaker told us, the plan to hold the Government 
hostage, I think, is now reversing itself and it is causing the 
Republican majority, who has the obligation to govern, to now scramble 
and pass a CR that will pay for minimum services of the Federal 
Government.
  And the rallying cry is going to be that we cannot trust the 
President of the United States, President Clinton. The Republicans are 
going to say that he is not negotiating in good faith. He vetoed a 
budget that was given to him, that was passed by this House and the 
Senate, and he said why he vetoed it. He did not want to give a big tax 
break on the backs of children, students, elderly, et cetera. And for 
the past 40 hours, he has been and his aides have been in serious 
negotiation with the leadership of the Senate and the House. He will 
continue to do that.
  What has happened is that the Republicans have held Government 
employees, the U.S. Government, as hostage in trying to get the 
President to agree to a balanced budget that he has vetoed, and told 
them why, and he is negotiating in good faith. But because the American 
people, in loud cries, are saying enough is enough, they are agreeing 
with the majority leader in the Senate that enough is enough; that 
tonight, and probably tomorrow morning, there will be resolutions 
before this House that will try to bring Federal employees in certain 
areas back to work.
  What we should do is pass a clean continuing resolution, bring back 
the Government employees in order that all Americans get the services 
they deserve and the President and the leadership of the House and the 
Senate can continue to negotiate on what should be a proper balanced 
budget.
  Enough is enough. We have people risking their lives enforcing the 
laws of this country, and yet they are not getting their proper pay and 
they are endangering their family, not being able to provide for 
mortgage payments, for food, et cetera. This is being caused by a 
Republican majority who told us that their main principle, or one of 
their main principles is upholding family values.

                              {time}  2000

  Let us protect these families, and send them back to work.

                          ____________________