Jay Rockefeller: “now, more than 2 weeks into the government shutdown and at the brink of default, we are acutely aware of what happens…”

“now, more than 2 weeks into the government shutdown and at the brink of default, we are acutely aware of what happens when politicians turn their backs on public policy and, instead, advance partisanship over service to the American people. Let's be clear about this government shutdown. It is a self-imposed crisis manufactured by a small group of hard-line conservatives in the House of Representatives over their opposition to the Affordable Care Act. A dedicated group of public servants, Democrat and Republican, here in the Senate have worked frantically over the past 2\1/2\ weeks to find agreement in spite of the obstruction of an extreme minority who put their own ideology above the good of their constituents and the Nation. Last week, I held a hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee about the impacts of the government shutdown to the public and the U.S. economy. We heard firsthand stories about the damage and disruption caused by the shutdown on our families, our businesses, our government, and our standing in the world. The message we heard--loud and clear--was that the longer this shutdown continues, the worse things will get. It has never been more apparent just how important the countless services, provided by the Federal Government, are to the economic security of millions of families and the Nation. In West Virginia, we are keenly aware that the Mine Safety and Health Administration personnel are not able to conduct regular reviews of mine safety.…”