David Obey: “this is indeed Groundhog Day over and over and over and over again. As I think most Members understand, we were supposed…”

“this is indeed Groundhog Day over and over and over and over again. As I think most Members understand, we were supposed to have our budget work done by October 1. It is not rare that we do not. That has often happened in the history of the House under both parties. What is rare is this difference. In the past, in the main, continuing resolutions which keep the government open after the expiration of the previous fiscal year are passed for the purpose of giving the leadership of both parties and those involved in negotiations an opportunity to have more time to complete their work by resolving their differences. Instead, I am forced to conclude that continuing resolutions in this situation are being used as a tool to shield this institution from doing its work resolving our differences and completing the work needed on the budget for not the coming year but the year that we have been in since October 1. Continuing resolutions are supposed to be used to buy time to find compromises. Yet, we see gross evidence that in fact there are other plans afoot.”