[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 31, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                CONGRESS SHOULD STAY IN SESSION AND WORK

  (Mr. EDWARDS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, a moment ago we put our right hands over 
our hearts and pledged allegiance to our flag and the Nation for which 
it stands. I would like to challenge every Member of this House today 
to take another pledge, a pledge that we will not go home in February 
for a month, a pledge we will not take a paid vacation as Members of 
Congress, while this Nation is on the brink of defaulting on its good 
faith and credit for the first time in two centuries.
  Mr. Speaker, I think every Member of Congress tomorrow who would vote 
to recess, when we are on this brink, are playing Russian roulette with 
the American economy and average working people's lives whose mortgage 
rates will go up and veterans who will not receive their paychecks and 
the widows of veterans who will not receive their pensions.
  Anybody who votes to go on recess tomorrow should volunteer not only 
to give up his or her paycheck for the month of February. They should 
volunteer to explain to 44 million senior citizens why on March 1 they 
may not get their Social Security checks and Medicare recipients will 
not get their checks. We should stay here and work.

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