David Obey: “Mr. Speaker, this is the eighth continuing resolution to come before this body necessitated by the fact that we are now…”

“Mr. Speaker, this is the eighth continuing resolution to come before this body necessitated by the fact that we are now in the fifth month of the new fiscal year and still do not have a budget. We have not provided the funds that should be provided for homeland security. The Congress has not provided the funds that should be provided for first responders, for education, to deal with some Medicare and Medicaid problems, and there are many other concerns as well associated with the late action of the Congress on the appropriation bills. None of that fault lies with the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. He has tried his dead level best to bring appropriations bills to the floor in a timely fashion. He has been shut off by decisions made at a higher pay grade. At this point, this House has no choice except to once again extend the continuing resolution. But there are, nonetheless, some items which I think are necessary to take action on because time is running out. The clock is running on a number of crucial problems.”