Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut for her leadership as former chair and ranking member. I thank my…”

“I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut for her leadership as former chair and ranking member. I thank my good friend from Texas, as well. I think they are completely accurate that left to their own devices, we could have an appropriations process that would work, but I thank Chairwoman DeLauro for laying the groundwork of the crisis that we are now in. Let us be very clear: It is the Democrats who have come to save America and to stop this dastardly shutdown. As I have listened to the debate on the Labor-HHS, all I could see was the crushing of the American spirit, the eliminating of GEAR UP and TRIO, the very programs that give a lifeline to young people across America; a stamping down of the greatest of our aspirations. Weeks ago, the President gave to us a supplemental for Ukraine and Israel and the border, ensuring that we would be able to provide funding and engage the way we should for Defense. And now we are hearing that in a crisis, we don't even have humanitarian aid that is needed in Gaza. All we are doing here is kicking the can, but thank goodness Democrats are able to say that we refuse to shut down the government and it is because of the cities that are so desperately in need. How dare we put our cities in this catastrophe of having a government shutdown? In the State of Texas--I am here today to vote for this CR--172,877 Active-Duty and Reserve personnel and their families would not be paid.…”