[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 136 (Friday, October 4, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       REOPEN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 4, 2013

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a resolution, 
along with Representatives George Miller and Nita Lowey, which is 
designed to reopen the Federal Government.
  House Republicans have shut down the government in an effort to push 
their reckless agenda, allowing a small group of Tea Party Republicans 
to hold the entire Federal Government hostage. And they think they can 
distract from that by cherry-picking pieces of government to re-open, 
and leave the rest of it to die on the vine. They are playing games 
with peoples' lives, leaving families, small businesses, veterans, and 
our economy to pay the price.
  The fastest way to proceed is to vote on the clean Senate-passed bill 
to immediately re-open the government. The President has indicated he 
is willing to sign it tonight. Unfortunately, House Republicans have 
manipulated the rules to block democracy in the House, and will not 
allow an up-or-down vote on the bill.
  So today, House Democrats are offering an alternate way to end this 
irresponsible shutdown and allow our public servants to return to the 
work of the American taxpayers. We are introducing a petition that will 
compel consideration of legislation to open the government. By signing 
this discharge petition, both Democrats and Republicans can finally 
stand up and demand a vote as early as October 14 on a short-term 
extension of government funding consistent with what the Senate has 
passed. This would allow Congress to finally get back to the work of 
boosting job growth and reducing our long-term deficit in a balanced 
way. And it would allow government to get back to the work of helping 
to keep our nation safe, fight and cure diseases, help veterans, and 
provide vital services that touch virtually every family in our 
country.
  Speaker Boehner has made it very clear that he is afraid of 
democracy. But that is why we were all elected to the peoples' House. 
It's time to stop playing partisan games and stop this damaging 
shutdown.

                          ____________________