[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 174 (Wednesday, December 2, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H8871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           THE FEDERAL BUDGET

  (Mr. KILDEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, the bipartisan budget agreement signed into 
law last month helped to avert another manufactured political crisis 
here in Washington. But our work is not done. If we don't pass a 
spending bill before December 11, working Americans and seniors will 
face another dangerous government shutdown.
  Sadly, Mr. Speaker, Republican leadership continues to threaten this 
process over radical policy riders like defunding Planned Parenthood. 
Unfortunately, in his first press conference, the new Speaker could not 
rule out another Republican government shutdown.
  As we face tremendous threats to our national security, we need to 
set politics aside. Some things in this House have to be exempt from 
political gamesmanship, and we would certainly think that keeping 
government open and functioning would be one of the things that we take 
out of the political conversation.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people want us to do our job. Our job is to 
make sure that this government runs, and we can't do that if we 
continue to use politics and the threat of a government shutdown to 
achieve what can't be achieved through the normal legislative process.
  Mr. Speaker, we need to do our job.

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