John Joseph Moakley: “Mr. Speaker, we are doing the second continuing resolution because, despite the late date, despite the President's very…”

“Mr. Speaker, we are doing the second continuing resolution because, despite the late date, despite the President's very clear decisions, my Republican colleagues still have not done their job and they still insist on playing politics. The 13 appropriation bills should have been sent to the President for signature 3 weeks ago, but 4 of them are being stalled because my more radical Republican colleagues insist on attaching very controversial provisions to these bills. And as far as the President is concerned, those partisan provisions just beg his veto. Mr. Speaker, the Government shutdown looming on the horizon may sound very familiar to us. Last Congress, when my Republican colleagues picked politics over pragmatism, they closed the Federal Government several times to the tune of hundreds of millions of wasted tax dollars. For the sake of veterans and for the sake of Social Security recipients, Mr. Speaker, I hope they are not planning to do that again. But, Mr. Speaker, it is sure starting to look that way. Today's temporary funding bill will keep the Government from shutting down for another week.”