David Obey: “if there is no better option available, I will certainly vote for this first proposition. But I have to make clear that…”

“if there is no better option available, I will certainly vote for this first proposition. But I have to make clear that this proposition would lead one to believe that last night in the Republican caucus, Goofy and Mickey Mouse got married. I mean, this is going to leave such an incredibly ludicrous situation on our hands. What it means is that the zealots in the Republican caucus are sounding retreat, but they are still shooting hostages as they withdraw. Because this proposal that they are bringing to us will deal with the needs of Government employees, they will take care of the Washington problem, but it will not deal with the rights of the taxpayers. Taxpayers have a right to have their Government fully open; they have a right to receive all of the services for which they have already paid taxes; and this proposition will not do it. This proposition will mean, for instance, that there will still be 20,000 Pell grants per day that will not be processed. It will mean that States will still be left holding the bag for $7 billion a month in Medicaid costs. It will mean that there will be 2,000 NIH research grants which will not be renewed, including 400 cancer grants. It will mean that there will be 300 Head Start projects with 200,000 kids that will be out of luck because those projects will not be able to be funded under the terms of this very limited Government opening. It will mean that NASA contractors will still be left high and dry.”