[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 18 (Tuesday, January 29, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H1253]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN HURTS THE PEOPLE
(Mr. COHEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, fortunately, the United States Government is
open, and, fortunately, when Donald Trump comes to this Chamber on
February 5, he can say the state of the Union is that the government is
open. Otherwise, the State of the Union would have been different.
A lot of people lost paychecks and had great difficulties because of
35 days without many Federal employees getting paid. That should not
happen again.
A lot of private entrepreneurs whose businesses are located near
Federal facilities will never recover the losses. When Federal
employees did not go to work, people who have grocery stores,
cafeterias, and lunchrooms lost business that they can never make up.
The ability of the FAA to keep our airlines going was jeopardized. We
don't need to let that happen again. That hurts commerce and hurts our
country.
We need to have an agreement, but we don't need to build an
unnecessary fifth-century wall. George Bush put up more barriers than
any other President, but none in Texas, his home State, because the Rio
Grande River is the dividing point. There is a big difference.
God bless Walter Jones
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