On the recordJanuary 30, 2019
This resolution talks about not having more government shutdowns. We don't need a resolution for that. Of course, there shouldn't be government shutdowns. That is why, last year, this body passed a resolution to fund government, including Trump's border wall that he asked for. We passed that out of this Chamber. It went to the Senate. And what did they do? Nothing. The Senate did nothing. They did nothing for over 30 days. They just sat while the government shut down. Why? Because the minority party in the U.S. Senate chooses to threaten to filibuster, and if they don't get everything they want, based on this threat to filibuster, they shut down government until such time as this Chamber or the President or whoever they want to bully around gives them everything. That is not the way government is supposed to work. I had a conversation yesterday with a young man here in D.C. He said: ``How are you going to end these government shutdowns? What is going to happen now?'' Well, gosh, we have appointed a conference committee. That is how it is supposed to work. The Homeland Security conference committee meets today. There are four Republicans and three Democrats, which reflects the makeup of that Chamber. There are 10 from this Chamber, 6 Democrats and 4 Republicans, which reflects the makeup of this Chamber. That is the committee where you meet and you work these things out. That is the system the Founders of our country set up for us here.…
