[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15619]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       IT IS TIME TO DO OUR JOBS

  (Mr. POCAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POCAN. Mr. Speaker, last night, I spoke with a woman in Madison, 
a Federal employee who works as an air traffic controller and helps 
ensure the safety of thousands every day, and she asked me why should 
she be working when she doesn't even know if or when she will get 
paid--and I didn't have a reasonable answer for her.
  I received a letter from a woman in Baraboo who relies on Federal 
contracts to run her small business. She asked me how she is going to 
be able to make payroll this month if the government doesn't pay its 
bills--and I didn't have a reasonable answer for her.
  I don't have a reasonable answer for why the Wisconsin National Guard 
can't conduct its training, why local small businesses can't grow their 
business and have loans through the Small Business Administration, and 
why 113,000 infants, children, and pregnant women can't receive 
nutrition assistance from the WIC program.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time the GOP House leadership starts acting like 
responsible Representatives. Let's reopen government; let's prevent our 
country from defaulting; and then let's sit down and negotiate our 
budget, as Democrats have been requesting for the last 6 months. It is 
time to do our jobs.

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