[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 148 (Tuesday, October 22, 2013)]
[House]
[Page H6664]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       AMERICA'S BUDGETARY ISSUES

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, plain and simple, the 
shutdown stalemate was unacceptable. The impasse should have been 
resolved weeks before October 1 when the House began passing funding 
bills through regular order. I argued that the strategy of defunding 
the health care law would not succeed, considering most of its programs 
are funded through mandatory spending. I did, however, believe that 
forcing the debate was necessary in order for Congress to actually 
start dealing with the challenges we face.
  The President's health care law is, without a doubt, one of those 
challenges, Mr. Speaker. The law was sold as a way to lower insurance 
costs and expand access. But in reality, it is reducing access, 
breaking the budget, and harming consumers.
  We forced the Senate to join us in addressing our larger budgetary 
issues--including debt and deficits--which undoubtedly will lead us 
back to a discussion of this flawed health care law.
  This debate would never have taken place if Senate Leader Reid had 
his way. Considering the ongoing failures with the ObamaCare exchange, 
it is certainly a debate we will now be able to have. The American 
people deserve as much.

                          ____________________