Thomas Daschle: “we have 6 weeks remaining in the Congress. Those 6 weeks will define our efforts as a Congress. And this is the last…”

“we have 6 weeks remaining in the Congress. Those 6 weeks will define our efforts as a Congress. And this is the last matter that I wish to raise before our colleagues this afternoon--the agenda for those remaining 6 weeks. Time is short. Distractions are many. Needless to say, we must focus on our priorities. Our success for the entire Congress will really depend on what we achieve in the next 6 weeks. It will depend on whether we are committed to accomplishing the people's business. What is the people's business? I think everyone understands what it is. The people's business is the business that we have before us. Appropriations bills must be completed. The Congress' first responsibility is to ensure stable Government operations. There must not be talk of a Government shutdown. I have heard some of our Republican leaders, especially on the other side, suggest that the President may shut the Government down. Today is the last day in August. The budget resolution was due in April. So far, neither body has delivered a budget resolution. So I call upon the Republican leadership in the House and in the Senate to do what the law requires, to do what is so essential to restore confidence, to do what really is required to set the framework for the priorities and the commitments that we must make in these next 6 weeks. I call on the Republican leadership to pass a budget resolution. Not one single appropriations bill has gone to the President.”