[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 27, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H684-H685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         AVERTING SEQUESTRATION

  (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on Republican leaders 
to keep the House in session until Congress fulfills its responsibility 
to the American people by averting sequestration.
  With Rhode Island unemployment at 10.2 percent, my constituents 
cannot afford a single day of these indiscriminate cuts. They will have 
a negative impact on Rhode Islanders seeking job assistance, teachers 
educating our children, and countless seniors who rely on food 
assistance, not to mention the numerous jobs in our defense industry.
  We've found compromise in the past. Since April of 2011, Congress has 
reduced the deficit by over $2.5 trillion, cutting spending by over 
$1.4 trillion,

[[Page H685]]

with almost $3 in spending cuts for every $1 of revenue. Mr. Speaker, 
Democrats in the House and the Senate, along with the President, have 
put forward balanced proposals to avert these devastating cuts. I urge 
you to listen to the American people and bring balanced legislation to 
the floor for a vote. Our communities cannot afford to wait.

                          ____________________