[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 2 (Thursday, January 4, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S35-S36]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, while I agree that it is right to deal 
with the problems facing the District of Columbia, there should be no 
misunderstanding about the current situation. There are hundreds and 
hundreds of problems that are being created almost on a daily basis 
that have not been dealt with. Veterans are again in the same position 
they were prior to Christmas. If something is not done prior to the end 
of this month, veterans will not receive their disability checks.
  If something is not done before the end of this month, AFDC 
recipients will not have their checks.
  If something is not done before the end of this month, 260,000 
Federal workers will have been out of work for an entire month. And the 
taxpayers are paying $40 million a day for this to occur.
  How ironic can it be? The irony certainly must be apparent to every 
one of the people involved. How ironic that at the very time we are 
dealing with the budget, trying to find some resolution to the deficit, 
we are creating through this irresponsible Government shutdown a $40 
million deficit unnecessarily each and every day. It is just 
outrageous. 

[[Page S36]]

  The Senate has, through leadership of the majority leader and 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle, come to terms with this. We 
passed the continuing resolution. That issue is over and done with.
  What remains is for the House to act responsibly to do what they 
should have done weeks ago--to pass a continuing resolution, put people 
back to work, and make absolutely certain that this horrendous 
situation we face today is solved once and for all.
  If we do not, there will continue to be dire consequences. Everyone 
should know that Meals on Wheels runs out of money this week. Senior 
citizens who may only receive one meal a day will cease receiving those 
meals as a result of the inaction in the House. Senior citizens will go 
hungry. No one ought to be confused about it. Everyone ought to 
understand the implications of what we are doing here. Seniors who may 
not get any other nutritional opportunities for the entire day will be 
denied this one meal as a result of House Republican intransigence.
  Medicare contractors are no longer being paid. Medicare contractors 
are now being asked to go out and provide medical services without any 
compensation at all.
  So are we affecting the lives and health of millions of Americans 
beyond Federal workers? Absolutely. We are doing it today.
  I already mentioned veterans not receiving their disability benefits. 
They are not receiving educational benefits either.
  Unemployment offices--we have people out of work, walking in for 
unemployment compensation, not knowing how they are going to pay their 
bills. Their situation is totally unrelated to any budget negotiations. 
They are walking into unemployment offices and finding that no one can 
provide them with service because 10 States have already been forced to 
shut down their unemployment offices. Ten States have shut down every 
single unemployment office
  So people seeking help--not Federal employees, not people who may be 
part of the Federal Government but people who are out of work--are now 
being told there is nothing that we can do for them either.
  Superfund has been halted now for cleanups in 32 toxic wastesites. 
There are 32 sites around the country completely shut down as a result 
of what has happened here in the Congress, and what is happening--or 
not happening--on the House side.
  There are 20,000 student loans per day that are not being processed.
  I had a call a couple of days ago from a friend in South Dakota whose 
daughter is depressed and in tears wondering just what is going to 
happen because she was told she cannot even go back to college because 
her student loan did not come through for the second semester. What 
happens to the next 6 months of her life?
  Mr. President, there has been a lot of talk about furloughing Federal 
workers without pay. But it appears that the House may furlough 
themselves with pay. How outrageous can that be? What a contrast. What 
an incredible juxtaposition of fairness. The House is going out on a 2-
week vacation with pay.
  Every Federal worker is left at home without pay and the Federal 
taxpayer is left holding the bag each and every day for services not 
rendered.
  This country has been in very difficult positions in the past. But I 
daresay, Mr. President, that this is the most inexplicable, outrageous 
situation that I have seen since coming to the Senate. It has to end. 
The House has to come to grips with taking the responsibility and doing 
the right thing. It has to happen, and it better happen today.
  I yield the floor.

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