Maxwell Frost: “this rule and the three meaningless sense of the House resolutions it will bring to the floor represent a complete…”

“this rule and the three meaningless sense of the House resolutions it will bring to the floor represent a complete abdication of leadership by House Republicans. On the front page of today's New York Times, the Census Bureau reports that the number of people living in poverty has increased, the median household income has decreased, and Americans are suffering under the weakest economy in 50 years. But congressional Republicans are fiddling about, cynically playing politics in order to run out the clock before the November elections. The majority leadership should be ashamed of itself, Mr. Speaker. Republicans refuse to do the most basic job that they were elected to do: fund the Federal Government. House Republicans have passed only five of the 13 appropriation bills, and the fiscal year ends in less than 1 week. Later today, or perhaps tomorrow, or perhaps some day next week, we will pass the first of several continuing resolutions to keep the government operating. But instead of working overtime to do their most fundamental job, Republican leaders are worried about their own political power, so they are wasting time on the meaningless bipartisan propaganda that these resolutions represent. Never have I seen such timidity, timidity from the Republican leadership. Meanwhile, long-term unemployment is at an 8 percent high, and 2 million Americans have lost their jobs.”