[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 3 (Friday, January 5, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H309]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             WORKING WITHOUT PAY AND BEING PAID NOT TO WORK

  (Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, in an extraordinary change of policy, my 
Republican colleagues have changed our policy with regard to payment of 
our Federal employees. For the last 3 weeks American workers who work 
for the Federal Government had been working without pay. For the next 3 
weeks under the resolutions that we have adopted today, Americans who 
work for the Federal Government will be paid without working.
   Mr. Speaker, this is an extraordinary change, and neither of the two 
sets of circumstances are desirable from the standpoint of any kind of 
common sense. My suggestion to my Republican colleagues is let us get 
together. Let us work the issues out. Let us have some honest 
discussion. Let us not play games. Let us do the business of the 
country. That is what we are here for.
   Mr. Speaker, I would remind my Republican colleagues, they are the 
majority, it is their duty to rule and to govern. It is their duty to 
run the place. To complain constantly about the President refusing to 
submit budgets ill becomes them, ill befits this institution, and does 
little except to bring all of us into a state of disrepute and 
degradation.
   Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues to function as a majority 
responsibly should.

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