[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 15059]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
                          GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Oregon (Ms. Bonamici) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, this is day three of a completely 
unnecessary government shutdown. About 800,000 people don't know if 
they'll have a paycheck at the end of the week. Basic government 
services are being denied, hundreds of millions of dollars wasted. Moms 
who count on WIC to feed their kids are being hurt. Head Start 
providers are closing. Families trying to buy a home are turned away. 
Small businesses needing loans are told to wait.
  This could all end in about 20 minutes if we could just vote on the 
compromise that already passed the Senate. Is it perfect? No. It funds 
the government at levels below the budget passed by Democrats in the 
Senate and proposed by Democrats in the House. It keeps in place the 
across-the-board cuts triggered by sequestration, which I didn't vote 
for and do not support. But I am willing to support this bill, this 
compromise, this so-called clean continuing resolution because we are 
damaging the country by this shutdown, and we need to reopen the 
government.
  And why is the government shut down? People don't understand this. 
Well, because some of my colleagues want to defund, delay, and deny the 
Affordable Care Act.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, we took an oath here. When we were sworn 
into the office, we took an oath to support the Constitution. And 
according to the Constitution, when a bill passes both Chambers and is 
signed into law by the President, it becomes a law. We learned that in 
basic civics. The Affordable Care Act is a duly-passed, signed by the 
President, and upheld by the Supreme Court law.
  So if you don't like a law, how do you change it? Again, think back 
to civics. Through the legislative process. Draft legislation, have 
hearings, mark it up, put it up for a vote. That's how this body ought 
to function.
  How not to change laws? By shutting down the Federal Government. Who 
on Earth could be proud of what we are doing here? Who could look at 
this and be proud? I tell you, the American people, in fact people 
around the world, are watching. They have seen bitterness and rancor, 
they have heard oversimplification, and a lot of misinformation.
  It is time to stop governing by cynicism and crisis. It's time to 
realize that what is happening here is beneath the dignity of this 
Chamber and this body. It's time to restore democracy.
  Mr. Speaker and colleagues, the American people do not deserve this 
shutdown. There are enough Members of the Republican and Democratic 
caucuses to open this government right now.
  Mr. Speaker, let us vote. Let's pass the Senate amendment to the 
continuing resolution, let's reopen the government of this United 
States of America, and let's do it now.

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