Nita Lowey

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, I rise with great respect for Chairman Young. However, I rise in strong opposition to this reckless Republican shutdown. Of course we support the National Guard and Reserves. The House already passed a full-year funding bill for the Guard and Reserves in July under the auspices of Chairman Young and our extraordinary ranking member, Mr. Visclosky; but this bill is inadequate, and it's the wrong action at this time. Our troops need training and equipment--two key components absent from this bill. This measure does nothing to help the CIA, the FBI, the DEA, the Secret Service, or the Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This is critical to our Nation's defense. We could end the shutdown today if the majority would only allow a vote on the Senate-passed bill, which includes the funding levels that the Republicans support and that would be signed by the President. Then we could get to work, as our ranking member said, on a complete bill, an omnibus bill, through the regular order of the Appropriations Committee. The House majority, apparently, can't take the heat from the fire that they've lit, so now they've put forward this reckless political attempt to shift blame for their shutdown. Ending the shutdown of our government couldn't be more simple: stop playing games and pass the reasonable bill that the Senate and the White House have already agreed to. Madam Speaker, it's time for the Republicans to stop opposing reasonable solutions and to end their shutdown. Allow a vote on the Senate bill. I have served in this Congress for many years with the distinguished ranking member, Mr. Visclosky, and the chairman, Mr. Bill Young. I am embarrassed to go home to my constituents in my district and talk to them about the dysfunction due to the Republican shutdown of this government. There are people who don't have child care. There are people who don't have health care. There are people who are suffering, who are having trouble paying the rent. Let us open this government and get our work done.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, of course we support funding for our veterans. The House already passed a full-year funding bill in June by a vote of 421-4, which was $6 billion more than the cheap ploy now being considered. It is essential that the VA can continue offering services, but we must also ensure that veterans receive job training, children receive immunizations, and that our food supply is safe. Radical Republicans have shut down the government because they refuse to allow a vote on a spending bill that they wrote, the Senate passed, and the White House would sign. Three days into the shut down, the majority can't even tell us what they want to reopen the government. Just yesterday, one of their Members said: We have to get something out of this. And I don't even know what that is. The House majority has shut down the government, but not to reduce spending or for some other policy reason. It is for pure petulance, and they don't even know what they're trying to accomplish. Ending the shutdown couldn't be more simple. Stop playing games. Allow a vote on the bill--with your number--to end the shutdown that the Senate passed and the President will sign. This could end in 30 minutes. Just take the bill with your number, let it pass here, send it to the White House, and that's the end; and we can get on with business to serve the people that we were elected to help. My constituents want us to work on these serious issues, as do you.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Republican shutdown. We can't cherry-pick our way through funding the government. Of course we support funding for the District of Columbia; but we also support funding for 800,000 Americans who are being furloughed, restoring SBA loans to help small businesses grow, and restarting Head Start centers. Mr. Speaker, I would say to my friend, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, it really pains me that Republicans have brought up this cynical bill yet again today. Funding one budget at a time is no way to fulfill our constitutional responsibilities to keep the government running or growing our economy. This bill is nothing more than a Republican ploy. It isn't designed to solve problems. It is designed only to help Republicans shift blame for the most evident results of their shutdown. It would not be before us if Republicans had not been so irresponsible throughout the budgetary process, forcing us into a shutdown. This bill is wasting critical time that should be spent passing the Senate-passed compromise bill that we know the President would sign to end the shutdown for all of government. This bill is irresponsible.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the reckless Republican shutdown. There's no stronger supporter of the National Institutes of Health. Members on both sides of the aisle have long supported the crown jewel of the government, but we didn't have an opportunity to vote on the bill funding this year because Republicans didn't have the courage of their convictions to stand behind the 22 percent cut. Funding one budget item at a time, even one as important as the NIH, does nothing to help children get immunizations, conduct disease surveillance, provide meals for seniors and poor children who depend on assistance for survival, or continue food inspections to protect the food supply. This bill is nothing more than a Republican ploy. It would not be necessary if Republicans had not been so irresponsible throughout the budgetary process, forcing us into a shutdown. We could end the shutdown today if the majority would only allow a vote on the Senate- passed bill, which includes the funding levels Republicans support and would be signed by the President. If you really care about biomedical research and public health, you should vote ``no'' on this bill and demand that the Republican leadership allow the House to vote on the Senate bill immediately and end the reckless Republican shutdown.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Republican shutdown. Of course we support funding for our national parks. But the House has not had that opportunity because Republicans couldn't even advance their own Interior bill out of the committee. Why is opening parks now more important than investments in job training centers that are dependent on their expected allotment of funds, or allowing all of our food inspectors to continue to protect the American food supply? Today's bill doesn't even include funding for essential firefighting efforts for the Park Service. Funding one budget item at a time, while doing nothing about other critical services, is no way to fulfill our constitutional responsibility to keep the government running or to grow our economy. The bill we are considering is nothing more than a Republican ploy. It would not be necessary if Republicans had not been so reckless throughout the budgetary process, forcing us into a shutdown. We could end the Republican shutdown today if the majority will only allow a vote on the Senate-passed bill to keep the government running, which includes the funding levels Republicans support and would be signed by the President. Pass the bill today, and the couple can get married at the Jefferson Memorial, and the 200 patients who would have been admitted to the NIH clinical trials each week will not be turned away. The House majority apparently can't take the heat from the fire they lit, so now they have put forward this reckless political attempt to shift blame for the shutdown. End the shutdown now.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Republican shutdown. Of course we support funding for the District of Columbia, but the House has not had that opportunity because Republicans couldn't even put the financial services bill on the floor. Why is resuming services in D.C. now more important than extending funding for Head Start or childcare assistance across the country? Funding one budget item at a time while hundreds of thousands of Americans are on furlough and losing pay is no way to fulfill our constitutional responsibility to keep the government running or to grow our economy. The bill we are considering now is nothing more than a Republican ploy. It would not be necessary if Republicans had not been so reckless throughout the budgetary process, forcing us into a shutdown. We could end the Republican shutdown today if the majority would only allow a vote on the Senate-passed bill to keep the government running, which includes the funding levels that Republicans support and would be signed by the President. The House majority apparently can't take the heat from the fire they lit, so now they have put forward this reckless political attempt to shift blame for the Republican shutdown. Ending the shutdown couldn't be more simple: stop playing games; pass the reasonable bill the Senate and the White House have already agreed to.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Republican shutdown. Of course we support the funding for our veterans. The proper way to do that, as our distinguished chairman knows, is to fulfill our constitutional responsibility--make the hard decisions and pass regular appropriations bills. Mr. Speaker, as the chairman knows, the House already passed in June a full-year funding bill for veterans by a vote of 421-4. As our distinguished chairman knows, that bill is $6.2 billion more than today's bill. So our veterans, as a result of this shutdown process, are going to have their funds cut by $6.2 billion. We need to pass a bill that helps them and that funds other critical initiatives. As our distinguished chairman knows, we could do this. We could pass these bills by regular order and prevent children from being part of clinical trials. I just got an email from Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health. Nearly three-quarters of the staff were furloughed. About 200 patients who otherwise would be admitted to the NIH clinical trials each week will be turned away. This includes about 30 children, most of them cancer patients. We know this is not the only place. It's Head Start, and it's funds for transportation. We've heard that. We can go on and on. We could do this because there is a process in place. We don't need to shut down the government and invent new ways to pass these appropriations bills. Funding one budget item at a time while hundreds of thousands of Americans are on furlough and are losing pay is no way to fulfill our constitutional responsibility.

Mrs. LOWEY. The bill we are considering today is nothing more than a Republican ploy. It would not be necessary if Republicans had not been so reckless throughout the budgetary process, forcing us into a shutdown. We could end the Republican shutdown today if the majority would only allow a vote on the Senate-passed bill to keep the government running, which includes the funding levels that the Republicans support and that would be signed by the President. The House majority, apparently, can't take the heat from the fire they lit, so now they've put forward this reckless political attempt to shift blame for their shutdown.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Madam Speaker, instead of working with Democrats to prevent a shutdown, House Republicans have passed two bills that have no chance of becoming law. They are the 42nd and 43rd votes on undermining the Affordable Care Act. While the old saying goes, ``if at first you don't succeed, try, try again,'' I say to my colleagues across the aisle: stop trying to shut down the Government of the United States of America. Democrats have offered a compromise in which Republicans get the spending levels they want. It is time to stop pandering to the Tea Party and to do what is right--pass the Senate compromise and avoid a shutdown driven solely by radical Republicans.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Here we go again. Republicans insist on including riders that do not belong in an appropriations bill. Both the Senate and the President already made clear they will not accept these provisions. Still, the majority insists on taking the country toward a shutdown in a few short hours. As the clock ticks toward midnight, when appropriations will lapse and the government will shut down, Republicans have put forward the third version of a bill that is designed to shut down government unless we delay, defund, and deny affordable health care to American families. Mr. Speaker, Republicans claim Democrats refuse to negotiate. Let's review the history and Democrats' support for a compromise to keep government running: Republicans pushed us to the brink of default in the summer of 2011, resulting in a credit downgrade; Republicans walked out of negotiations with the President last December aimed at reaching a budget deal for this year; Republicans have refused to work with the Senate on the budget all year long; Republican leadership caved to the Tea Party and withdrew a plan that, in all likelihood, would have ended this standoff by separating health care legislation from a bill to keep the government running; And now Republicans refuse to say ``yes'' to the great concession made by Democrats in the Senate and the White House on the Republican spending level. The shutdown isn't only tarnished by Republican fingerprints, it is entirely of their making. We could avoid a shutdown by allowing a vote on the Senate's clean bill, but Republicans just won't allow it. This is no way to run the House of Representatives. This is no way to serve the hardworking people of the United States of America whom we represent. I urge my colleagues to vote against the Republican government shutdown. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green) for a unanimous consent request. (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the distinguished ranking member of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), the ranking member of the Interior Subcommittee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining.

Mrs. LOWEY. I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ellison).

Mrs. LOWEY. I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).

Mrs. LOWEY. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, now Republicans want to negotiate. After the shutdown clock has struck the witching hour, after weeks of making threats of insisting on your way or the highway, of arrogantly demanding repeal or delay of affordable health care, now the Republicans say, Please negotiate. This is not a motion to go to conference or a motion to negotiate. There's no time left for that. This is a motion to shut down our government. There's been plenty of time for negotiation, and Republicans said ``no'' at every turn. Forgive me if I remain skeptical that Republicans actually want to negotiate now. Republicans can stop this shutdown right now if they bring to the floor the Senate-passed continuing resolution that removes divisive provisions that House Republicans insist upon. This stunt tonight doesn't do one thing to end the government shutdown. We should call it what it really is: a pathetic, last-ditch attempt to not be blamed for a government shutdown. This is too little too late. We should greet this motion with the same cynicism with which it was offered. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mrs. LOWEY

Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to discuss the majority's intransigence. The bill the House is considering tonight takes yet another step towards total dysfunction. Instead of working with Democrats to prevent a shutdown, the majority has gotten even more extreme by writing a bill that has no chance of becoming law and will be the 43rd vote on repealing or undermining the Affordable Care Act. While the old saying goes, if at first you don't succeed, try and try again, I say to my colleagues across the aisle tonight: stop trying. You will not succeed in giving our medical choices back to the insurance companies and keeping health insurance costs too high for too many families, and it continues the Republican war on women by allowing a woman's employer to determine what safe and legal health services she can access. The bill the Senate returned to the House would not increase spending, but one provision within the jurisdiction of Ways and Means would cost $30 billion. The majority is wasting time as we get closer and closer to a shutdown, because we all know this bill will be dead on arrival in the Senate. Here's a sample of what the House majority shutdown will do: small business owners will stop receiving Federal loans to hire and expand their businesses; the National Institutes of Health will stop receiving new patients; veterans' benefits will be disrupted; and housing loans for middle class families will be put on hold. These are the painful results of the Republicans' refusal to act responsibly. They walked out of negotiations with the President last year. They ignored the President's deficit reduction plan in his budget. They refused to go to conference on a budget resolution. And they repeatedly voted down Democrat amendments to replace sequestration. And now, when it's time to fulfill our most basic task of funding government operations, Republicans push us further to the brink of a shutdown. Anyone who votes to amend the Senate bill is voting for a shutdown. Vote ``no'' on the Republican shutdown proposal, and I reserve the balance of my time.