[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 12 (Friday, January 19, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H572]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            DEMOCRATS ARE AVAILABLE TO DO THE PEOPLE'S WORK

  (Mr. HOYER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, we are confronting a very serious 
situation, as all of us know, and that is we have not reached agreement 
on how to fund the government between now and September 30 of this 
year.
  Almost one-third of fiscal year 2018 is gone. At some point in time--
the majority leader is not available right now, therefore, I am not 
asking him to yield, because he has something important that he is 
doing now--but at some point in time, Madam Speaker, I am hoping that 
the majority leader will come before us and we can have a colloquy on 
what we intend to do during the course of this day, perhaps tomorrow, 
perhaps Sunday, perhaps Monday, perhaps Tuesday, in order to get the 
business of the country done.
  I am urging my Members to be available on very short notice so that 
they can complete the work of funding our government for fiscal year 
2018. I hope that all other Members will be available to do so as well. 
That is our responsibility. We have not yet met that responsibility. 
Therefore, I want to give notice to my Members that we need to be here.
  The Senate has not acted. We do not know what they will do. We need 
to be available for their action. I know the majority leader suggested 
that it was okay to leave and go home. I want to make it clear that is 
not my view. We have not completed our work. The American public 
expects us to do that.
  I would hope that we would all remain available to complete the work 
of funding the government between now and fiscal year 2018 ending, of 
course, on September 30.

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