Political Quotes

“if you want to see a shutdown of Government occur again, then please ignore what I have to say for the next 5 minutes. I have been struggling for a long time now to convince the Congress that we ought to engage in a proposal which would end the prospect of Government shutdown forever. We can do it very easily. Each of the proposals that I have offered to the Congress since 1989 has encompassed this concept, Mr. Speaker, that if at the end of the fiscal year, which is now looming upon us again as September 30, the appropriations bills have not been passed, then automatically the next day those appropriations bills that have not been passed shall automatically be passed, by virtue of instant replay, by adopting last year's numbers. That would mean that never again would we ever have a Government shutdown. Now, what does this mean in practical terms? It means that the negotiators for the unfinished business of the Congress can continue to work on a full budget or to complete those appropriations bills, but in the meantime we would not have the chaos, unemployment, uncertainty, confusion, embarrassment and all the other negatives that accompany the shutdown of Government.”