David Obey: “Mr. Chairman, we have long passed 1984, but we have just heard another example of 1984 doublespeak. We hear this talk…”

“Mr. Chairman, we have long passed 1984, but we have just heard another example of 1984 doublespeak. We hear this talk about how the Republican side of the aisle does not want to shut the Government down, and then they proceed to go on and say, ``But if the President insists on the language that he has in his letter, then he will be shutting the Government down.'' What you are telling us and what I really believe as I watch you march through this useless bill is that you are once again taking actions which are making it much more likely that the Government will shut down, and that is the last thing we ought to allow to happen. Let me put this in perspective: We have seen this Congress add $7 billion in spending to the defense appropriation bill above the amount requested by the President. We have also seen you then make cuts on the domestic side of the ledger totaling $33 billion. The President has asked that $7 billion of those domestic reductions be restored in the education, environment, and crime areas, principally. The committee's response is to provide $1 billion in additional funding in real money for LIHEAP, the low-income heating assistance program, very largely. I am happy about that. I am the original House sponsor of the program. But then they go on and say that we will provide $3.3 billion in funny money.”