Willie Hefner: “I think the gentlemen are missing the point here. We are talking about a balanced budget all the time. We are talking…”

“I think the gentlemen are missing the point here. We are talking about a balanced budget all the time. We are talking about opening up the Government. All Presidents past, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, George Bush, when they had a disagreement, it is their perfect right to veto a bill. Incidentally, the bills that President Clinton got were far late. They were not anywhere near the time they were supposed to be here. The President has the right to veto a bill, and then you work out the differences. This is totally ridiculous to say, 'If you don't sign these bills like we passed them, like we want them, we are going to close the Government down and put all of these people out of work.' That is the process. The President has the right to veto a bill, and then you work with appropriations or the authorizers and then you work out the differences. You do not just get mad and throw a tantrum and close the Government down, our VA hospitals that are so vital to the people of this country. It is just not Federal employees it is hurting. It is average working people out there that depend on the services of the workers. This is totally ridiculous, holding them hostage because you have got a temper tantrum because you cannot have it like you want it.”