[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 27 (Tuesday, February 26, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H632-H633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             SEQUESTRATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HOYER. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, we continue an unfortunate and unnecessary 
countdown to the irrational and reckless automatic cuts the Republican 
policies will impose. The countdown stands at three days. Unless 
Congress acts by Friday, the cuts will take effect, with dangerous 
results across the country and in the Fifth District of Maryland, my 
district.
  Approximately, 46,000 civilian defense personnel will be at risk of 
being furloughed at installations in Maryland, including Pax River, 
Webster Field, Indian Head, and Joint Base Andrews. This will undermine 
their ability to serve our Nation and keep America safe.
  Federal defense contracts could be canceled or reduced, which will 
translate into lost jobs--an economic hurt for the communities they 
affect.
  There will be cuts to the FDA, which, as I said, are in Maryland's 
Fifth District. National FDA cuts could result in fewer food safety 
inspectors for consumers.
  And children will be kicked out of Head Start. There will be longer 
wait times for those seeking to access job-training and placement 
services. Our first responders will lose much-needed personnel.
  This year alone in Maryland, the sequester could mean up to 500 fewer 
victims of domestic violence receiving critical services. And around 
2,050 children unable to receive vaccines for communicable diseases 
like measles, mumps, whooping cough and the flu. This is not a rational 
way forward.
  Law enforcement could lose about $317,000 in my own State for this 
year in grants that support crime prevention and drug treatment and 
enforcement.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of my district are hardworking folks who just 
want the chance to pursue the American Dream. Many of them are Federal 
employees who have already been forced to cut back as a result of some 
of the actions that we've taken. Others are defense contractors who 
support our men and women in uniform who are at the point of the spear 
and rely on these defense contractors to keep them well-equipped and 
well-trained. They cannot afford the arbitrary, irrational cuts that 
are set to take effect in just 4 days.
  Even if some here believe Congress does not have a responsibility to 
create opportunities, at least I think we can agree that Congress has a 
responsibility not to prevent them. I believe Congress has an important 
role to play in making sure our businesses can compete, our communities 
can thrive, and our people can make it in America.
  That's what is at stake in the policies that we are confronting 
today. They remain extremely disappointed that some in this Chamber are 
actively supporting the sequester's painful and indiscriminate cuts as 
a viable path forward. As a matter of fact, many Members on the 
Republican side have said ``bring it on, this is what we want to do.'' 
To do so, in my opinion, is gravely irresponsible.
  Marylanders, and all Americans, deserve a Congress that takes our 
challenges seriously. None of our challenges are more serious or more 
immediate this week than the dangers of allowing the cuts to take 
effect.
  That's why I have cosponsored a bill with Mr. Van Hollen and many 
others on the Democratic side of the aisle to replace the cuts for the 
remainder of the year with a balanced approach to reduction, a balanced 
approach which will bring down our deficit, bring down our debt, but 
will do so in a responsible way.
  Mr. Speaker and Mr. Majority Leader, you have the power to bring that 
bill to the floor today. And if you don't agree with it, don't vote for 
it. But allow the American people to see their representatives have the 
opportunity to vote for a rational policy so that we do not pursue an 
irrational policy that will undermine jobs in America and the growth of 
our economy.
  Only a balanced solution can achieve the savings we need and still 
afford our

[[Page H633]]

investments in attracting middle class jobs.
  As we count down to Friday, what are we doing on this House floor? 
Well, yesterday we did a suspension bill. Today we will do a suspension 
bill. I dare say, Mr. Speaker, nobody, outside of the particular 
interest groups will know what those suspension bills are.
  And then we will consider a bill on Wednesday and Thursday, an 
important bill. We should have passed it in the last Congress. But we 
ought to be dealing with these cuts that are confronting our country 
starting on Friday and Saturday.
  As we count down to Friday, I will continue to work towards an 
agreement that will avert these arbitrary, hurtful cuts and protect 
Maryland families and businesses from congressional partisanship gone 
awry.
  And I am encouraging those who live in my district, and anyone else, 
to visit my page on Facebook and share how the proposed cuts will 
impact you, your loved ones, and your community.
  For the sake of our families, Mr. Speaker, our small businesses, our 
children, our teachers, our defense contracts, our public servants, our 
first responders, and others, I urge my Republican colleagues to 
embrace the spirit of compromise that has been so absent of late in 
this Chamber. I call on them to work with Democrats to find a balanced, 
sensible, smart, rational, and responsible solution to our deficits.
  Mr. Speaker, we have 3 days left to go. Let's bring something to the 
floor that's a solution. Let's do it now.

                          ____________________