Haley Stevens: “I want the Record to show the District of Columbia is not the only place that relies substantially upon the income of…”

“I want the Record to show the District of Columbia is not the only place that relies substantially upon the income of Federal employees or the activities of the Federal Government. There is substantial impact throughout the country. Even my own city of Anchorage had an impact because of the shutdown. The difficulty I have with coming here today is that I do not think most Members nor the executive branch have thought over the consequences of Attorney General Civiletti's opinion. It is my judgment, and I say this advisedly as the chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee now, that we should join together and find a way to legislate permanently so that this kind of a situation does not continue to occur. I think the taxpayers have every right to be very, very irate over the fact that we will pay a substantial number of people for not working, and those people who have been sent home as being nonessential Federal employees are chagrined over that decision of their superiors. They, too, take the position that their job is essential and that they should be paid. I believe it is absolutely essential that we not send Federal employees home in the belief that somehow or another pressure will be created on one branch of government or the other as a result of these people not being allowed to do their work.”