John Joseph Moakley: “Mr. Speaker, this rule is typical of the politics-as-usual we're getting so used to these days. Today, on the 21st day…”

“Mr. Speaker, this rule is typical of the politics-as-usual we're getting so used to these days. Today, on the 21st day of the Federal Government shutdown, we are looking at another attempt to back the President into a corner, to force him to cut Medicare to pay for tax cuts, and he won't do it. He won't get tripped up by the strings attached to this continuing resolution and my Republican colleagues shouldn't even be bringing it up. As we are speaking, the Rules Committee is meeting to consider the third continuing resolution to come before the House today. They say three's a charm but from what I hear, Mr. Speaker, they still haven't got it right. This third continuing resolution opens up a few more Government services, services that should not have been stopped in the first place, but it does not go all the way. My Republican colleagues say they want to run the Government like a business. This business is making the former Soviet postal service look good. Republicans are sending people back to work. And they are paying people to go back to work, which they certainly should do, and which they should have done 3 weeks ago. But they still won't let everyone do their work. They are willing to pay for meals for senior citizens, but will not provide for their delivery. They will give us meals but no wheels.”