[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 16, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  (Ms. JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Speaker, today marks the 26th day of 
President Trump's irresponsible and destructive government shutdown. 
Not only has the shutdown resulted in hundreds of thousands of 
Americans being put on furlough, but it has also inflicted long-term 
damage to our Nation's research and development enterprise.
  During my 26 years on the Science Committee, I have witnessed the 
consequences of our Federal science and technology agencies being 
forced to shut their doors; namely, science suffers and U.S. innovation 
falters. We fall behind and fail to compete globally as our competitors 
strengthen their own investments in R&D.
  Researchers who rely on regular funding from now-closed agencies are 
struggling to keep their projects afloat as they miss important 
deadlines and have crucial gaps in data. We are seeing contractors that 
work in coordination with the Federal Government being furloughed, with 
no promise of back pay when the President's temper tantrum is finally 
over.
  We hope to get back on course. If we want to remain a global leader 
in innovation, we must end this shutdown.

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