Eva M. Clayton: “it greatly concerns me, and I believe it concerns most Americans, that we may face the prospect of not having a budget…”

“it greatly concerns me, and I believe it concerns most Americans, that we may face the prospect of not having a budget this year. As we consider the proper role of Government, let us not forget the natural dangers we face. Over the past days and weeks, many of the Northeast have been held in the grip of inclement weather. First, it was record-level snow that shut down the Government, without one Member of Congress being here. More recently, it was uncontrollable flooding that left many unable to function and caused one of our largest States, Pennsylvania, to make a public appeal for Federal intervention. If nothing else proves that we need a Federal Government that works and works for all of us--it is nature's wrath that makes the point. I hope the pundits are wrong--I hope we will pass a budget that is not only cost efficient, but civil. We have terrestrial problems that we cannot handle. We do not need to create more problems by functioning in a less than civil way and by failing to govern.”