On the recordSeptember 16, 2014
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this short-term continuing resolution. This CR simply keeps the government funded at the current fiscal year rate, which is, by the way, in line with the Ryan-Murray budget agreement that was passed by Congress last year under the steadfast leadership of Chairman Rogers, of our subcommittee chairmen and chairwomen, and of the ranking members. The House is doing its work. The House has done its work. We have passed 11 of the 12 bills out of the full committee, and seven of those appropriations bills, under regular order and through immense debate, have actually passed the floor of the House. Yet the Senate has passed how many appropriations bills? Mr. Speaker, not even one. That is why we are here, once again, with this continuing resolution. Our record very clearly shows that, unlike the Senate, the House is committed to actually doing the hard work--to going line by line to fund the vital programs and looking at opportunities to eliminate waste and to reduce spending. Again, we have done our work. Now we need a willing partner, Mr. Speaker, on the other side, in the Senate, to do their part so then we can go to conference and negotiate the differences, but that is not in our hands. That is in the hands of the American people. We are now at the end of this fiscal year, as the chairman said--just a couple of weeks away. The key is to pass this continuing resolution to keep the government running.…
