[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1674]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           STOP THE SEQUESTER

  (Mr. BERA of California asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BERA of California. Mr. Speaker, the American public is tired of 
the blame game. They want to see real solutions. Irresponsible, across-
the-board spending cuts are not a real solution. If we don't act to 
avoid these spending cuts, we threaten the very safety of our community 
and our country.
  There will be $50 million cut from firefighting funding. In my own 
district, that's $1.5 million in SAFER grants. Let me translate that. 
My fire chief, Kurt Henke, says that's the equivalent of one engine 
company and slower response times. People are going to be unsafe, homes 
are going to burn. We have to act.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge you to lock us in a room and cut a deal. Let's 
figure out how to avoid sequestration. This is devastating to our 
economy and our country.

                          ____________________