[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 19 (Wednesday, January 30, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H1320]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SOLIDARITY IN SALARY

  (Mr. ROSE of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the 
Solidarity in Salary Act, which would withhold paychecks from Members 
of Congress, the President, and the Vice President during a shutdown.
  Everyone right now is trying to figure out who won the shutdown and 
who lost it. Well, here is the deal: Nobody won this thing, but the 
American people lost. We failed them. We turned our back on them, and 
they suffered.
  Keeping the government open and running is our most basic 
responsibility. It is what our constituents ask of us. In just 3 weeks 
we managed to make them question whether Members of Congress were born 
without common sense, or whether we just get a frontal lobotomy after 
we are sworn in. And what did we get out of putting them through this 
misery? Nothing.
  All that happened is we arrived at the same basic truth that we knew 
5 weeks ago: that we had a deal. In these Halls we love to kiss up to 
vets, and cops, and firemen. All we do is thank them for their service, 
and rightfully so, because they put it all on the line each and every 
day.
  But it is time that we actually try to emulate their service here. 
Because what they do, what they have to endure is that when they fail 
at their job, people die. People get hurt, and they have to live with 
that for the rest of their lives.
  All this bill is talking about is us having skin in the game and not 
getting paid. We, as Members of Congress, should be feeling the same 
pain that we just inflicted on the American people.

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