[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15697]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      END THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, as we slug through the second week of the 
government shutdown, American families and small businesses are 
hurting. Every day of the last 10 days I have been contacted by 
constituents who cannot operate their stores, pay tribute to their 
loved ones at a Federal memorial, or secure a small business loan.
  These unnecessary hardships damage our economy, and could have been 
avoided if House Republicans were not obsessed with taking away health 
care benefits from the public we serve.
  Government has the duty to keep its doors open, provide vital 
services, and pay its bills. These items should not be considered a 
Democratic Party wish list. They are basic functions of government and 
should not be used as an opportunity to secure political points or hold 
America's economy hostage.
  It is well past time to vote to end the government shutdown, pay our 
bills, get the Nation back to work, and grow our economy.

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