[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 3 (Friday, January 5, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S83-S84]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 THE IMPACT OF THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, the irresponsible Government shutdown has 
brought havoc to the lives of millions of working Americans.
  For the past 3 weeks, House Republicans held the Government hostage 
in an effort to force harsh and excessive cuts in Medicare, education, 
the environment, and other vital programs in order to pay for their 
lavish tax breaks for the wealthy.
  From coast to coast, the repercussions from the shutdown were felt 
not only by Federal workers but by contractors who depend on the 
Government for their income, and by large numbers of other citizens and 
firms who depend on the Government for their livelihood.
  Massachusetts was hit hard by the shutdown. Over 15,000 of the 
State's 32,000 Federal employees had either been furloughed or were 
working without pay since December 15.
  The various stop-gap funding bills the Senate is now adopting will 
ease some, but far from all, of these problems. It will pay Federal 
workers through January 26 and permit a number of essential programs to 
resume. But many other important Federal services, which families have 
already paid for with their hard-earned tax dollars, will not to be 
funded under today's stop-gap bills.
  The stop-gap bills still provide no funding for Head Start, which 
serves 2,000 children in Massachusetts. Nor does it provide assistance 
to low-income families to insulate their homes. The Foster Grandparents 
Program, community health centers, the Ryan White AIDS Program, and 
clean water inspection will also continue to go unfunded.
  At the same time, the stop-gap bills will send thousands of Federal 
workers back to work--without the funding to administer these programs. 
Republicans talk about making work pay, but under their stop-gap 
funding bills, far too many Federal employees will be forced to sit 
idle at their desks while taxpayers demand these important services.
  Republicans claim that they want to reduce the deficit and balance 
the budget, but the Office of Management and Budget has found that over 
the 3 weeks the Government has been closed, the Federal Treasury has 
lost $945 million--or $45 million a day. If that's not inefficient, I 
don't know what is.
  Instead of these defective stop-gap bills, we should have passed an 
honest bill to reopen the Government while the budget negotiations 
continue. Responsible Republican leaders have tried in good faith to 
end this irresponsible shutdown, and I wish they had been more 
successful.
  Mr. DOLE. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. 
  
[[Page S84]]

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? The Chair hears none, and 
it is so ordered.

                          ____________________