Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to do everything in our power to avoid a government shutdown. Federal workers protect our public health and environment, they deliver our mail, they help our businesses and home buyers, and they keep us safe. Shutting down the government would suspend their paychecks, damage their morale, and shut off the essential services they provide. My friend, Mr. Wittman, and I have drafted legislation to protect the pay of Federal employees in case Congress and the White House fail to reach an agreement. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to cosponsor the Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act. This bill is unusual. Usually you do everything you can when you introduce a bill to get it passed. You work hard to get it written into law. But this bill, I will do everything I can to prevent it from being considered because, if it becomes law, it means that Congress has failed and we have shut down our government. Republicans hold the White House and both Chambers of the Congress, so what happens next is up to them. I hope my friends here will have nothing to do with the White House plan to hold hostage the budget agreement and payments to stabilize health insurance rates. I urge my colleagues to act swiftly and responsibly to work out a bipartisan funding bill and avoid a government shutdown. ____________________”