[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14953]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   WORKING TO END GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Meadows) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MEADOWS. Mr. Speaker, I come here today just perplexed at what I 
see unfolding here today. My colleague just said that two wrongs don't 
make a right; and indeed, she is correct. But today, this fight is 
really starting to get to be more political and we're not focusing on 
the people.
  Yesterday in this very Chamber, Mr. Speaker, we put forth three 
different bills, one that would pay our veterans and make sure that 
those benefits continue to flow. And what did the Democrats say? They 
said ``no.'' One would open up our parks and monuments to be that 
economic stimulus once again. And what did the Democrats say? They said 
``no.'' Then, even in the District of Columbia, where we looked, Mr. 
Speaker, at truly putting forth and allowing them to use some of their 
funds to pay the teachers and do some of the operations--I can tell 
you, I don't get any votes from the District of Columbia. For me, that 
is not a politically expedient thing to do, but it was the right thing 
to do. So what did we do, Mr. Speaker? We put forth a bill. Yet what 
did the Democrats say? ``No.''
  I am so troubled that what we are seeing over and over again is this 
bantering back and forth, and yet we are willing to open up parts of 
the government and continue to do that every single day until we get 
everything restored.
  This is not about ObamaCare. ObamaCare is mandatory spending. This is 
about getting the government back open in a responsible way. What we're 
doing is working very hard, trying to work in a bipartisan way to do 
that.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to just say that it is time that the 
Senate comes back to the negotiating table and starts to negotiate on 
behalf of the American people that they represent. We have a 
responsibility to our veterans, to those that serve in the Reserves. So 
today, we will see more opportunities in this very Chamber to fund 
those things that are precious, near and dear to all of us. I humbly 
ask my colleagues on the other side to join us, in a bipartisan effort, 
to start working for the American people and representing them.

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