[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 15271-15272]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0915
   OPEN THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT AND PASS A CLEAN CONTINUING RESOLUTION

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, the reason we have the shutdown is because 
of the Republican leadership.

[[Page 15272]]

  The irony today is that the Republicans keep talking about the other 
side of the aisle here or the other House, yet they are going to go 
home at around 12 today, if not sooner, and not come back until Monday 
after 6:30. So if you really cared about negotiating and doing 
something, you wouldn't send everyone home for the next 3 days. You are 
not serious.
  The spending levels have already been agreed on. I heard our 
Democratic leader, Ms. Pelosi, on the floor the other day saying she 
agreed with the spending levels. So the money isn't the issue. And I 
don't even hear the health care reform being talked about much anymore 
on the Republican side of the aisle.
  I have no idea why the Speaker of the House continues to keep the 
government shut down, other than maybe they think they can show that 
they can do it.
  This is absurd and it is cruel on the people, the people that are 
being furloughed. The effect on the economy is just awful at this point 
with this continued shutdown.
  You come here and say you are going to piecemeal approach and we have 
bills every day to open up a little part of the government. Open the 
entire government. Pass a clean continuing resolution.

                          ____________________