[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 24, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H2258-H2259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1220
                    HARMFUL EFFECTS OF SEQUESTRATION

  (Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it has now been more 
than 7 weeks since the sequestration cuts were enacted, and we are in 
new and unprecedented territory. Furlough notices have already been 
sent to thousands of Federal employees and contractors, and many 
services are beginning to slow. While many of the worst consequences of 
the sequester have not yet been realized, the truth is that the wheels 
have been set in motion, and we are on a course that will have real 
impacts for millions of Americans.
  As a result of employee furloughs, more than 1,200 flights were 
delayed yesterday because 1,500 air traffic controllers were laid off 
the job. Because of the Republican majority's refusal to address the 
effects of sequester sensibly, the FAA estimates that a third of the 
passengers will face delays during the furloughs, with up to 6,700 
flights arriving late at more than a dozen major airports each day.
  Beyond crippling our government's ability to provide critical 
services, the Republican sequestration plan is slowing the economic 
growth that our country so desperately needs.
  In short, Republicans are putting the ability of our government to 
fully perform basic government functions that we need to keep us safe 
at risk.
  We need to work on an approach that will fix sequestration while 
reducing our deficit sensibly.

[[Page H2259]]

  We need to come to a compromise that will prevent these 
indiscriminate cuts, and keep our economy on track and growing.

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