[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 134 (Thursday, September 17, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H6089]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  (Mr. BERA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. BERA. Mr. Speaker, in 6 legislative days, our government will 
shut down. This is a bad idea.
  Last time the government shut down, our economy lost more than $20 
billion, $4 billion in tax refunds were delayed, 20,000 veterans 
disability claims per week were delayed, and $140 million in small 
business loan applications were not processed. If you look at the 
analysis, over those 2 weeks, 120,000 fewer jobs were created. This is 
a bad idea.
  In Sacramento County, my home community, thousands of employees of 
the VA, Department of the Interior, and other agencies were threatened. 
This hurts American families.
  It doesn't have to be this way, Mr. Speaker. We could come together, 
put together a budget, keep the government open, and get people back to 
work. That is what we are sent here to do.
  Let's work together, Democrats and Republicans. Let's avoid a 
government shutdown, and let's put America back to work.

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