[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 53 (Tuesday, April 12, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E702]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




EXPLANATION REGARDING VOTE AGAINST THE SHORT-TERM CONTINUING RESOLUTION 
                            ON APRIL 9, 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MAZIE K. HIRONO

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 12, 2011

  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, at 12:40 a.m. on Saturday, April 9, I voted 
against the most recent short-term continuing resolution to keep 
government running for another seven days.
  I was one of 42 Democrats who voted against this short-term 
extension, which passed 348 to 70. I voted ``no'' in protest of the 
irresponsible way the Republican leadership has handled these funding 
negotiations and to register my strong concern about what the next 
appropriation and budget bills will mean to the American middle class 
and poor.
  I am on record in support of keeping government running. I voted four 
time during April 7th and 8th to allow a vote on a clean, 
straightforward short-term extension of funding at current levels to 
allow time for negotiation on a final deal for the balance of funding 
for FY2011. The Republicans would not allow this commonsense approach; 
instead we finally were given a chance to vote on a resolution that 
provided a short-term extension with another $2 billion in cuts. This 
time the cuts came from needed investments in transportation 
infrastructure and HUD Public Housing. This included cuts for airport 
facilities, transit programs, and rail projects. These are exactly the 
wrong kind of cut to make at this time, when we should be investing in 
infrastructure to help create jobs.
  On Wednesday, April 13, we will be voting on a bill containing $39 
billion in cuts to fund the balance of 2011. My priorities are to help 
the middle class and create jobs. I will be looking at the details on 
those cuts before making a final decision on how to vote on that bill.