[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 29 (Thursday, February 28, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H805]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               SEQUESTER

  (Mr. O'ROURKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give voice to the concerns 
I am hearing from my constituents and my community when it comes to the 
sequester.
  El Pasoans are worried about cuts to public education, canceled 
flights, delays in processing Social Security and veterans' benefits, 
and fewer resources for law enforcement.
  They are also worried about their jobs. For example, I represent 
20,000 workers and their families who are going to be facing furloughs. 
We are concerned that wait times at our ports of entry will increase to 
4 or 5 hours if the sequester happens and furloughs result in 7,000 
fewer Customs and Border Protection officers. This undermines those 
employees and their families and the trade that supports nearly 100,000 
jobs in the El Paso region.
  Mr. Speaker, let's fix this. Let's vote on legislation that will 
replace the sequester with responsible cuts and revenues.
  I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 699.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. As the Chair previously advised, that 
request cannot be entertained absent appropriate clearance.

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