[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 41 (Wednesday, April 9, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H1346-H1347]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1130
              THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY DO-NOTHING CONGRESS

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I just want to let the gentleman know that 
it costs the Federal Government $288,000 a week to cart Members back 
from their districts, across this country, to bring us here to do 
nothing because the Republican majority of this House has no agenda; 
Mr. Speaker, $288,000 a week. Think about what working middle-class 
families in this country would be able to reap the benefit of if they 
had that kind of money.
  Earlier this week, the Washington Post labeled this Gingrich Congress 
the do-nothing Congress. It is true. This Congress has spent the last 3 
months doing a whole lot of nothing. My colleagues on the other side of 
the aisle

[[Page H1347]]

have refused to produce a budget, refused to hold hearings on campaign 
finance reform, refused to schedule action on kids' health care, and 
refused to schedule a vote on any of the Democratic education 
initiatives: how to get kids to school and have working families be 
able to afford that.
  The Republican majority would like to continue to do nothing. So be 
it. But get out of the way so others can talk about an agenda that 
helps working families in this country.

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