David Obey: “this resolution might as well be entitled the congressional R&R resolution of 1996. That is what it really is. The sad…”

“this resolution might as well be entitled the congressional R&R resolution of 1996. That is what it really is. The sad thing about this process is that an immense amount of energy on both sides of the aisle, on both sides of the Capitol, have been invested in trying to restart the Government every 2 or 3 weeks rather than in trying to find real solutions to real problems that affect real people in each of our own districts back home. And now we are asked to do it again. What this resolution really says is that the Congress will be allowed to get out of town, until the 25th, and the Government will be reopened partially during that time period. Then the day after Congress gets back to town, the Government shuts down again, at least those portions that have been opened up by the resolution that just passed. That is clearly not a process designed to relieve the problems faced by taxpayers, or to relieve the problems faced by consumers of Government services. That is simply a process designed to relieve the pressure on Members of Congress to stay here and do their duty and seek resolution of these major issues. That is the problem.…”