Eva M. Clayton: “we worked from yesterday until early this morning. We now have nothing to do on the floor for the next couple of weeks.…”

“we worked from yesterday until early this morning. We now have nothing to do on the floor for the next couple of weeks. At the end of each day, I believe it is important to be honest and to ask the question: Who was helped and who was hurt by what we did? Do not get me wrong, Mr. Speaker, we passed important reforms, many of which Democrats had pushed last Congress. But, who did we help, and who did we hurt? The jobless remain unemployed. Those without health care still don't have it. Our young have no new direction. The chill of winter is certain to claim the lives of some homeless people. And, no hope was given to small farmers. We have been asked to meet the challenge of change, but what did we change on day one and day two of this Congress? I ask my colleagues in the majority, what did we do to reinforce families? What did we do to restore the American dream? What did we do last night to take back our streets? Who did we help? I would suggest that when it is summed up, all we did was make a move for news; those suffering citizens got nothing.”