Kelly Ayotte: “I have been carefully listening to the speeches of my colleagues, including the statements of my colleagues on the other…”

“I have been carefully listening to the speeches of my colleagues, including the statements of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. I feel compelled to come to the floor to speak about what I believe is a red herring and a political ploy. This debate is not about women. As the mother of two children, one of them being my 6-year-old daughter, I believe it is unfair and inaccurate to say this is about women and their health. Let's be clear on how we got to this point. Last year, even though they had majorities in both Houses, the Democrats failed to pass a budget for 2011 or even a single appropriations bill. Now the House has passed full funding for our military for the rest of this fiscal year and funding for the rest of our government for 1 week to allow us to resolve the remaining issues. That proposal does not even cut title X funding. Yet we have heard from speaker after speaker from the other side come to this floor and mischaracterize the potential shutdown of our government as being about women's health. Let's talk about what we know to be true. We can end this potential government shutdown right now if the majority allows us to vote on the proposal that the House has already passed that fully funds our military for the rest of this fiscal year and gives us a week to resolve the remaining issues and to resolve this once and for all.…”