[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 15066-15067]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Barr) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BARR. Mr. Speaker, the American people are frustrated and angry 
that politicians in Washington can't even work together to keep the 
government open and operating. They're hearing a lot of rhetoric from 
the White House and Congress about who is to blame, but instead of 
trading accusations about who is to blame, the President and Congress 
should face the realities of divided government. The only way forward 
in divided government when there is a difference of opinion, when 
there's an impasse, is negotiation and compromise.
  I come from the same congressional district that was once represented 
by Henry Clay, a great statesman and Speaker of the House. Clay, who 
was known as the ``Great Compromiser,'' knew that in divided 
government, the only way forward is through negotiation and compromise. 
Unfortunately,

[[Page 15067]]

the President and the Senate majority leader continue to reject the 
model of Henry Clay. They continue to say that they will refuse to 
negotiate, refuse to compromise, refuse to work in a bipartisan way to 
achieve a middle ground and end this government shutdown.
  Last night, the President hosted congressional leaders at the White 
House; but rather than offer to negotiate about how to reopen the 
government and fix some of the harmful effects of ObamaCare, the 
President reiterated his stubborn refusal to negotiate. Regrettably, 
the meeting was more political theater than a genuine effort to resolve 
this impasse.
  In contrast, this House has offered to negotiate. The House has 
offered multiple compromises. Since September 20, the House has voted 
no less than 14 times to fund the government, to fund critical parts of 
the government, to fund the District of Columbia, to fund the National 
Institutes of Health, to fund our national parks, to fund our troops, 
to fund our veterans, and to end this government shutdown.
  But instead of working with House Republicans to reopen the 
government, this administration directed barricades to be placed at the 
World War II Memorial, inconveniencing our Honor Flight veterans 
visiting our Nation's Capital. Instead of working with House 
Republicans to end the interruption of lifesaving clinical trials for 
cancer patients through the NIH, the Senate majority leader asked: Why 
would we want to do that?
  Our friends on the other side of the aisle say they want to vote on a 
so-called clean CR. They insist that we ignore the voices of millions 
of our constituents who are flooding our offices with calls asking for 
protection from ObamaCare. But the truth is this: The House has 
compromised over and over and over again, and the only demand that this 
House is making to the President and this Senate is that if you insist 
on ObamaCare, if you refuse to delay this law or fix its harmful 
features, then at least do away with your special deal. At least give 
up your special exemption and your special perk under this law. At 
least join with House Republicans in requiring all politicians in 
Washington, the President, members of the Cabinet, Members of Congress 
and their staff, to live under the same health care law that they have 
imposed on the American people. At least live by the laws you write.
  Mr. Speaker, let me conclude by asking my colleagues on the other 
side of the aisle a simple question: If ObamaCare is such a great 
program for the American people, if it is so worth defending that 
you're willing to shut down the government to defend it, then why won't 
you participate in it? Think about it. If ObamaCare's exchanges are 
such a perfect solution to the problems of health care in our Nation, 
then why are Democrats in the White House and in Congress so intent on 
keeping their special exemption from them?
  Mr. Speaker, it is wrong for politicians in Washington to shut down 
the government and vote against every bill to reopen the government 
just to keep their special deal that no other American gets under 
ObamaCare. So I call on the President and the Senate to end their 
stubborn refusal to negotiate, end their stubborn refusal to 
compromise, end their stubborn refusal to open this government just so 
that they can keep their special exemption under ObamaCare.
  Mr. Speaker, I say that, if ObamaCare is such a great law for the 
American people, then it should be good enough for President Obama and 
Members of Congress.

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