[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14890]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  (Mr. SHERMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this government, the government of the 
greatest Nation on Earth, will reopen only when the public decides that 
one party is being uncompromising and unreasonable.
  The continuing resolution that the Senate sent us sets the spending 
level, and it sets the level right there at the Republican Ryan budget 
level--$250 billion below the President's request, $72 billion below 
the Senate Democratic budget. When it comes to spending levels, we have 
compromised. It is manifestly unreasonable to shut down the government 
to achieve a legislative objective.
  Today, we are told that they will keep the government open for 45 or 
60 days if only we allow them to dismantle ObamaCare. In December, they 
will say we will keep the government open a little longer if only we 
will strip-mine Yellowstone.
  What if Democrats took the same tactic? What if we said we are going 
to shut down government until we get immigration reform, campaign 
finance reform, or gun control? We are as dedicated to those issues as 
they are to their ceaseless quest to repeal ObamaCare. But we will not 
shut down the government, we will not destroy the economy, we will not 
take hostages, we will not hurt this country just to get our own way.

                          ____________________