[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 139 (Tuesday, October 8, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H6356-H6357]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Tennessee (Mrs. Black) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BLACK. Mr. Speaker, this past Friday, while referencing how long 
the government shutdown lasts, a senior Obama administration official 
told The Wall Street Journal:

       It really doesn't matter how long the government shutdown 
     lasts because we are winning.

  But, Mr. Speaker, as you know and I know, this government shutdown 
isn't a game. There are no winners when Washington fails the most basic 
test of governing. That is why this body passed four bipartisan 
proposals to keep the government open while shielding Americans from 
the disastrous effects of President Obama's health care law.
  Once a shutdown was triggered by Senate Democrats, we worked to 
minimize its harmful effects with the passage of bills to reopen our 
national parks and museums, to restore critical funding for children's 
cancer research, fund the Veterans Administration, and to continue 
providing nutritional assistance through the Women, Infants, and 
Children program, among other measures. Now we're waiting on President 
Obama and the Senate Democrats to do their part.
  Mr. Speaker, my constituents can't wait too much longer. Across my 
district, Tennesseans are feeling the very real impact of President 
Obama and the Senate Democrats' continued refusal to negotiate.
  Larry, in Jamestown, is a park concessionaire at Big South Fork 
Recreation Area. Fall is his busiest season. He estimates that he lost 
$7,500 on an engagement he had planned for 11 months--canceled because 
of the government shutdown.
  Following the Veterans Administration's warning that they could run 
out of funding as early as late October, Charles in Crossville emailed 
my office pleading for help: ``I am a disabled veteran who depends on 
my compensation check to have some quality of life,'' he wrote. ``This 
is unacceptable.''
  Bobby, in Fentress County, is a craftsman, who was supposed to have 
his work displayed in the Smithsonian American Art Gallery last 
Thursday--a proud moment stolen from him because of an unnecessary 
gridlock here in Washington.
  Mr. Speaker, our Senate colleagues have the power to end this 
arbitrary and unnecessary pain today by taking up the House-passed 
measures to reopen our parks and museums, to restore veterans' benefits 
and fund other important functions of government. What we need now is 
for them to act.
  Our constituents expect us to listen to them, to work out our 
differences, and to find a commonsense way forward. Why can't we at 
least give them that? Harry Reid and President Obama need to listen to 
the people of this country and come to the table and negotiate. Let's 
get our work done.

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