On the recordApril 26, 2013
Some of my Republican colleagues were raging that air traffic was slowed by a so-called political manipulation of the sequester. I joined most of my House colleagues in voting to make a special exception for the FAA because we do want traffic to flow. But I have a news flash: cutting billions of dollars from the budget in a sequester in a meat-ax way does have real consequences. Furloughs are also occurring at the Departments of Defense and Agriculture, at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Head Start is cutting 70,000 slots for early childhood education. In my neighboring Indiana, there's a raffle being held to decide which children are going to be kicked out of the Head Start program. Four million Meals on Wheels are going to be cut for seniors who are depending on them. The Medicare Anti-Fraud Division is being cut. That makes no sense. And the sequester is projected to cost 750,000 American jobs this year. So, Mr. Speaker, I too ask unanimous consent to bring H.R. 900 to the floor that would repeal the sequester. The SPEAKER pro tempore. As the Chair previously advised, that request cannot be entertained absent appropriate clearance. ____________________





