John Garamendi: “18 years and 3 days ago, I was Deputy Secretary at the United States Department of the Interior. It was a vibrant place.…”

“18 years and 3 days ago, I was Deputy Secretary at the United States Department of the Interior. It was a vibrant place. The attorneys were doing their work. The accountants were busy. The national parks were open, and the rangers were at the gates. They were explaining the great wonders of this land. The Fish & Wildlife Service was caring for those creatures that we care so much about. The researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey were doing their thing, and then Congress failed to pass an appropriation bill. The next day it was silent. The entire building was empty. The rangers shut the doors to the national parks. The research ceased. To this day, I don't believe there's a person in this room or in this Capitol that can remember what the fight was about, but America can remember the shutdown of the government. And here today, we're in it once again. And the question that the American people will ask is: What is this all about? And the end result of it is that the status of this House will diminish once more. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.”