[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 57 (Wednesday, April 24, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H2259]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
APPOINT BUDGET CONFEREES
(Mr. KILDEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, my constituents and the American people
deserve a budget. One of our principal duties in Congress is to pass a
budget. Yet Congress has already missed the legal deadline this year
because the Republican leadership has not yet appointed conferees to
continue budget deliberations.
Yesterday, I joined many of my colleagues in signing a resolution
calling on the GOP leadership to appoint conferees to a conference
committee to continue working on the fiscal year 2014 budget.
After years of calling for regular order and for the Senate to pass a
budget, which they did in March, I now find it ironic that Republicans
are dragging their feet and stalling budget negotiations by refusing to
appoint conferees.
We certainly have differences of opinion regarding budget priorities,
Mr. Speaker; but that's no excuse for continued dysfunction and delay.
I ask you to appoint conferees today, and let's work to find a
bipartisan compromise on a budget. Democrats stand ready to act to pass
a budget that grows our economy, creates jobs, strengthens the middle
class, and replaces the reckless, across-the-board sequester cuts.
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