[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 24 (Thursday, February 7, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H1396]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             FOR THE PEOPLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Mrs. Beatty) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BEATTY. Madam Speaker, I am here today for the people. We want 
an agreement to continue to keep the government open and working for 
the people.
  We are just 8 days from once again having the possibility of having 
800,000 workers, Federal employees--air traffic controllers, Border 
Patrol agents, Secret Service personnel, and many, many more--being 
furloughed or forced to work without pay. That is not for the people.
  We saw how the 35-day-long government shutdown affected our 
constituents, our communities. We heard all the stories about the 
shutdown. We heard stories of cancer patients being forced to choose 
between treatment or paying their rent. We heard the stories of 
families, for the first time ever, being forced to turn to food banks 
and soup kitchens to eat. And the list goes on and on.
  Madam Speaker, what we did here was, during the State of the Union 
Address, President Trump spoke about how we must ``reject the politics 
of revenge, resistance, and retaliation.'' He needs to heed those words 
and live up to his promise: `` . . . bridge old divisions, heal old 
wounds, build new coalitions, forge new solutions, and unlock the 
extraordinary promise of America's future.''
  He can take an important step in that direction by letting the 
conference continue working to keep the government open for the people.
  Democrats and Republican leaderships indicate a long-term funding 
agreement is just within reach. It is so imperative that the conferees 
be allowed to put pen to paper before rushing to judgment or to fire 
off another tweet labeling their efforts as a waste of time, as the 
President has done time and time again. That is why the President would 
be well served to put down his phone, to stop tweeting, and to leave 
the negotiations to Congress.
  Members on both sides of the aisle agree that another government 
shutdown would be disastrous for the economy, for the people, and 
unnecessarily harm tens of millions of Americans in the process.
  The President, on Tuesday, said he was ready and willing to turn a 
new leaf. Madam Speaker, let's turn that new leaf. Let's keep the 
government open.
  Madam Speaker, House Democrats are committed more than ever to 
keeping the government open and funding and finding commonsense 
solutions to the issues affecting my constituents and all Americans.
  Madam Speaker, it is simple: Democrats are for the people.

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