[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1683]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           STOP THE SEQUESTER

  (Ms. EDWARDS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. EDWARDS. Mr. Speaker, on this coming Friday, March 1, we are 
going to see budget cuts that will devastate Federal workers, programs, 
agencies, and private sector contractors. This pending $85 billion in 
cuts for this fiscal year alone was intended to be so bad, just so 
horrible, and cause such widespread damage that they were never 
intended to take effect in the first place. Yet here we are with 
another self-inflicted wound as House Republicans continue to ignore 
Democrats' requests to find a sensible alternative.
  In Maryland alone, sequestration will hurt families, including 800 
children who will lose access to school readiness programs; 2,100 fewer 
children receiving lifesaving vaccinations; 12,000 mothers and young 
children cut from Women, Infants, and Children programs; and 46,000 
civilian private sector workers are going to be furloughed. And the 
list goes on in Maryland and across the country.
  Mr. Speaker, make no mistake, the GOP, the Republicans rule the roost 
here in the House, and they can stop these senseless cuts today. It's 
in their power and the power of the GOP to stop the cuts that are going 
to cost 900,000 jobs and threaten economic recession. The American 
people deserve better.
  Mr. Speaker, with that, I also ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 
699, a balanced bill to replace the sequester with spending cuts and 
revenues.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the guidelines consistently issued by 
successive Speakers as recorded on page 752 of the House Rules Manual, 
the Chair is constrained not to entertain the gentlewoman's request 
unless it has been cleared by the bipartisan floor and committee 
leaderships.

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