Political Quotes

“Before us now is legislation that would prevent a government shutdown during the current fiscal year. It is really a test of our wills as to whether or not we will be adopting this proposition. We know what a shutdown can do to our people. We know that a shutdown is very costly to the taxpayers. We know that a shutdown will leave people in hospitals unattended. We know that a shutdown will cause late delivery if there is any delivery at all of payment of benefits to veterans. If we do not pass this legislation, we are risking again a 100 percent cut, a 100 percent cut in the delivery of benefits that this Congress is bound to do at this or any other fiscal year. So those who oppose the Gekas amendment on the basis that somehow, because we stay at 100 percent of the levels of last year's budget, that somehow magically that is a cut, that is atrocious. The cut would occur if we do not pass legislation and a shutdown would occur. I ask them, as a matter of honor, as a matter of duty, as a matter of the right thing to do, to look back at the fall of 1990, when at the height of the amassing of our troops in Desert Shield, our government shut down. What a disgrace.”