Mike Quigley: “Now what? Yesterday, this body was prepared to pass a bipartisan spending bill to carry us into the new year and the new…”

“Now what? Yesterday, this body was prepared to pass a bipartisan spending bill to carry us into the new year and the new Congress. It was imperfect, yet it met many of our country's critical needs, especially disaster relief. Then, the agents of chaos descended, including what might just be our newly minted oligarch, Mr. Musk. Now what? Mr. Speaker, we are about to swear in a new group of Members. It reminds me of my first day in this body when my Republican friend, Mark Kirk, advised me that our best work here derives from compromise. I can only hope his advice is heeded here today and that we don't sink into ``if I don't get all that I want, I will take my ball and go home,'' or, worse yet, ``shut our government down.'' ____________________”