[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 124 (Thursday, September 19, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6611-S6612]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ECONOMIC RECOVERY

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, it was about five decades ago that Vice 
President Humphrey predicted it was possible to eradicate poverty in 
America. In fact, this is what he said: ``We can banish hunger from the 
face of the Earth.'' That was in 1965.
  Today, in 2013, there are more than 50 million people living in the 
United States--including 150,000 families in Nevada--who don't know 
where their next meal will come from. In the richest country in the 
world, one in six is in danger of going to bed hungry tonight, and half 
of those people are children.
  But despite these sobering numbers--and despite these difficult 
economic times--House Republicans have turned their backs on American 
families struggling to put food on the table. It is true the bill being 
considered in the House of Representatives today would save $40 
billion. How would it save that $40 billion? By snatching food out of 
the hands of millions of the neediest children and their families.
  Why are there people on food stamps? We have tried to create a safety 
net so

[[Page S6612]]

these people have at least the basics of being able to have a meal 
during the day.
  House Republicans are determined to gut the nutrition assistance 
program in the name of austerity, even though 9 out of 10 recipients 
are families with children, senior citizens, or people with 
disabilities. These needy Americans aren't exactly living a life of 
excess on the government's dime. They get about $4 in food assistance 
each day.
  One of my favorite things I like to do in Nevada and here in 
Washington is to go grocery shopping. It is such a diversion for me. I 
love going grocery shopping to look around, buy things. Landra and I 
are without our children and our grandchildren--we live alone--but we 
still buy food and I enjoy that so very much. So I have a good idea how 
much $4 will buy, or $4.50 to be specific. That is enough money to buy, 
if one is lucky, a pound of hamburger. They have different grades of 
hamburger. They have the expensive kind, the not so expensive, and then 
the cheaper kind. Even for the cheaper kind, $4 couldn't buy a pound of 
that most of the time. A gallon of milk costs about four bucks. So a 
person couldn't buy them both on the same day; a person certainly 
couldn't buy hamburger and milk on the same day.
  It is possible to make important reforms to both farm and food stamp 
programs without balancing the budget on the backs of people who are 
hungry. But instead of cutting waste and eliminating fraud, the House 
Republicans would cut lunches for 210,000 children and eliminate food 
assistance for 170,000 veterans.
  There is another way. It was done here in the Senate under the 
direction of Chairwoman Stabenow: the bipartisan Senate agricultural 
bill, passed under her direction and that of the ranking member. It 
saves $23 billion without forcing needy children to skip meals. It does 
it fairly. If the Senate farm bill came to the House of Representatives 
floor, it would pass overwhelmingly, but the Republican leadership 
won't let Democrats vote. That is why they will probably pass this very 
mean-spirited piece of legislation today, because only Republicans will 
be allowed to vote on it.
  The House Republican leadership refuses to consider any bill that 
would garner votes from both parties. Leave it to the House of 
Representatives to take the hard way whenever possible.
  These same reckless Republicans are also determined to take the 
uphill route to passing a CR--a continuing resolution. What does that 
do? It funds the government. Instead of doing what is necessary to keep 
the economy on a firm footing, Republicans are obsessed with denying 
and undermining the law of the land--ObamaCare. Remember, the law 
passed about 4 years ago and the Supreme Court declared it 
constitutional. Many good things are already working to keep people who 
are sick from declaring bankruptcy. It is a good piece of legislation 
that will make America like all modern nations and have health care for 
everybody, with rare exception.
  Watching the Republican Party self-destruct--and that is not coming 
from me; that is what pundits are saying all over the country--would be 
good political theater, to watch them self-destruct--and that is what 
they are doing--if there were not so much at stake.
  The economic consequences of a government shutdown are deadly 
serious. Even today, when I had my news briefing--the Republicans are 
openly fighting against each other now. Senate Republicans are saying, 
Well, we know we don't have enough votes to get rid of ObamaCare, but 
let's send it back to the House and let them hang tough. The House 
Republicans are saying, Why aren't the Senate Republicans doing it 
themselves?
  The consequences of a government shutdown are deadly serious. The 
economic consequences of a first-ever default on the full faith and 
credit of the United States are deadly serious. Look what happened last 
time they threatened this: The stock market dropped 2,000 points. We 
lost our credit rating. It dropped.
  Anyone listening to this doesn't have to take my word for it. The 
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, not noted for being this base of liberality 
in the country, wrote to Members of the House yesterday, saying: 
Prevent a shutdown. Ease the fears of default. Specifically, here is 
what they said:

       It is not in the best interests of the United States or its 
     business community or the American people to risk even a 
     brief government shutdown that might trigger disruptive 
     consequences or raise new policy uncertainties washing over 
     the U.S. economy.

  The quote continues:

       Likewise, the U.S. Chamber respectfully urges the House of 
     Representatives to raise the debt ceiling in a timely manner 
     and thus eliminate any question of threat to the full faith 
     and credit of the United States.

  But in spite of these warnings from the largest business organization 
in the country, Republicans either don't realize the stakes or simply 
don't care. They are willing to put the Nation's economic recovery at 
risk to make an ideological point.
  What remains to be seen is how many innocent Americans will be hurt 
by their reckless political games. How many children will go to school 
without breakfast? How many workers will lose their jobs? How many 
seniors will lose their retirement? How many businesses will lose their 
hard-earned investments if Republicans tank the economy?
  I only hope the anarchists in the House of Representatives come to 
their senses before it is too late.
  I note the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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