George Miller: “earlier today we had an opportunity to open the Government in its entirety and put people back to work and to make sure…”

“earlier today we had an opportunity to open the Government in its entirety and put people back to work and to make sure that the taxpayers were getting the services for which they are paying. That opportunity was denied us when the Chair failed to recognize the privileged resolution of the minority leader of the House of Representatives. That opportunity continues to be denied us because 20 Republicans cannot find their way to come forward and vote to open the Government. One hundred ninety-eight Democrats are prepared to vote. What we need are 20 good Republicans who put the interests of this Nation ahead of the interests of partisan politics, just 20 good Republicans out of the entire Republican caucus to come forward and let us open up this Government, and the negotiations at the White House can continue. Everybody who is a party to those negotiations seems to believe one another is negotiating in good faith. There is no reason to hold the Government of the United States hostage, to hold small business hostage, to hold veterans hostage, and to hold other segments of this Government and its population hostage.”