Byron Dorgan: “let me just observe that we have seen previous vetoes of appropriations bills in the history of the U.S. Congress, but…”

“let me just observe that we have seen previous vetoes of appropriations bills in the history of the U.S. Congress, but that did not result in a shutdown of the Federal Government. I would not want people listening to this to believe that because appropriations vetoes occurred this year, that resulted in a shutdown of the Government. That is not why we have a shutdown. The shutdown, it seems to me, was a matter of strategy by some. I might say, not the majority leader. He has made it, I think, clear a number of times on the floor of the Senate that he is not an advocate of shutdowns. Nonetheless, I think it has been a matter of strategy to use the shutdown as leverage with respect to the balanced budget talks. Another Senator mentioned that his constituents could not understand this shutdown. I would say, my constituents have told me the same thing--they could not understand it. I have said that is pretty reasonable, because it is not an understandable policy. It defies all common sense. It does not make any sense to decide to shut the Government down, pay $40 million a day for labor that you prevent being performed by Federal workers, but that you say you will reimburse later. I think, when all of the noise and all of the dust and all of the wind is over, at least today we will have been seen as taking a first sensible step. That is a CR that funds the Government, brings Federal employees back to work, and pays them.”