[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 63 (Wednesday, May 8, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H4534]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN, A DEMOCRAT TACTIC

  (Mr. GUTKNECHT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, we saw during last winter's budget battle 
that if liberal Democrats down at the White House did not get their 
way, they simply shut down the Government. They fought with every fiber 
against saving Medicare, against commonsense tax relief for families, 
against welfare reform and a balanced budget.
  Mr. Speaker, the cycle is repeating itself.
  Yesterday, the Democrat leader in the other body, issued an 
ultimatum: ``We are simply going to shut this place down.'' In other 
words, because the Democrats did not get their way, they are willing to 
shut down the business of this country.
  This is shameless. Liberal Democrats are willing to shut down the 
Government so that they can pander to the big union bosses here in 
Washington.
  Tax relief, welfare reform, a balanced budget, saving Medicare, all 
of that is on hold because the Democrats want to score a few cheap 
political points with the special interests here inside the beltway.

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