José Serrano

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I urge opposition to this amendment. The IRS has already been cut overall by $341 million from last year's funding level. This will prevent the IRS from going after tax cheats and helping those who are attempting to obey the law. The Taxpayer Advocate has even said that insufficient funding of the IRS is one of the most serious problems facing taxpayers. This underfunding will force the IRS to operate with 9,500 fewer staff, which means that less than 50 percent of taxpayers who reach out to the IRS for assistance on the telephone help line will be able to get it, while waiting times for those who do get answers will rise to 35 minutes or longer. As many as 24 million taxpayers would be unable to reach the IRS for assistance. That is unacceptable. The cuts in this bill will also result in $2 billion in uncollected revenue compared to what could have been collected at the requested level, thereby increasing the deficit by that amount. Take as contrast funding at more than $1.6 million above last year's level and over half a million more than was requested. I am not sure what they have done to deserve an increase that they didn't even ask for. During our hearing, it became clear that the IG didn't fairly represent the findings of its own investigator. Its lead investigator reviewed 5,500 emails and concluded that there was no indication of political motivation, yet the IG failed to mention that until months later after his order was released, and you will certainly not hear Republicans mention it now. So I am not sure what they are trying to reward, but it certainly is not good work. I oppose this amendment and urge that everyone else do so as well. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. I thank the gentleman for the time and the kind comments about my favorite team. I thank the majority party for the opportunity to bring this bill to the floor. Mr. Speaker, this is a very, very special and emotional day on the island of Puerto Rico and throughout the Puerto Rican community in the United States. This is a tribute long, long, long overdue. If you know the history of our country--and we all do--you know that many groups have been treated unfairly, and many have been treated unfairly during wartime, which is so unfair. Let me read to you something that I found that is very interesting: The regiment faced unique challenges due to discrimination and prejudice, including the humiliation of being ordered to shave their moustaches ``until such a time as they gave proof of their manhood,'' being forced to use separate showering facilities from their non-Hispanic officers, being ordered not to speak Spanish under penalty of court-martial, flawed personal rotation policies based on ethnic and organizational prejudices, and a catastrophic shortage of trained noncommissioned officers. Yet most of them were volunteers, if not all. Yet they fought with great valor. Yet they knew that they were very much a part of this Nation. So today, in awarding this Congressional Gold Medal, we are not just repairing a mistake of the past, but we are also paying tribute to ourselves as a nation. Our Nation is great in many ways. And one of the things that makes this Nation great is that we have made mistakes in the past, but every so often we look back and try to correct them. Under House rules, we are not allowed to point people out in the gallery; but it is important to note that to my right, there are members of the Borinqueneers, as the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Pierluisi) said, including one who is 96 years old and is still here with us. God bless him. And these folks bring so much glory to our community. I remember growing up in New York, where I grew up. I came at the age of 6. My parents--my uncles, my father, who had all served in the military, would speak about the 65th Infantry Regiment, 65 de Infanteria, as something so special. It was a moment of glory on Saturday afternoons during a few drinks and a good roast pork or something and rice and beans to discuss a lot of the achievements in music and sports, but also the achievements of the 65th Infantry were always a part of that conversation because they had endured so much, not to mention the fact--and this may sound funny, but remember, they came from a tropical island and went on to suffer some of the most severe cold weather you could on the battlefields with less equipment, I am told and history books will show, than other soldiers. So, you see, today we honor them. But today we honor ourselves. We here, in a bipartisan fashion, agree on one thing all the time, and that is, whether you agree on military action or not, when they come home, they should be taken care of properly, and when they are on the battlefield, they be treated equally. Those days have passed. The Borinqueneers were the last segregated unit in this country. We no longer have that, thank God. We now fight as one nation, indivisible, undivided under God. So I thank both sides, and I thank especially my brother from Puerto Rico (Mr. Pierluisi) for this initiative and Mr. Medina, who have crossed the country. I will tell you how important this is. The National Puerto Rican Parade, which is being held this year on June 8, which is the largest ethnic parade of its kind in the U.S., has made this one of its top three priorities, the awarding of this medal. Little do they know that we beat them to the punch. And while they will be asking for the medal to be passed, hopefully by 6:30, 7 o'clock tonight, we will have passed it in the House, and it will be worked on in the Senate, which I don't think will be very difficult to do. As one who had a very simple military career in the Army--where did they send a Puerto Rican? They sent me to Alaska. Luckily, I grew up in New York, so I was able to adapt to that cold. But this is a wonderful day, a glorious day. And without pointing to them in the gallery, we thank the Borinqueneers for their service and for their patriotism to this country and for honoring Puerto Rico the way they have.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and admiration that I stand before you today to honor Mr. Michele ``Mike'' Greco for his more than 60 years of outstanding commitment to The Bronx and to my congressional district. Michele, better known as Mike, has consistently been a commendable contributor to The Bronx community, and stands as a living example of true commitment, citizenship, and good service to the community. Michele Greco left the small town of Mendicino in Calabria, Italy in 1949, and immigrated to the Arthur Avenue section of The Bronx. While not a native member of the community, Mike has grown to embody all of the best characteristics of our community, and I am proud to call him a colleague in service, and even more proud to call him a friend. Mike has grown to be an invaluable member of the community whose dedication to the neighborhood can be seen through all facets of his work. Today, at 85 years young, Mike's commitment is shown through his opening of The Bronx's favorite neighborhood deli, Mike's Deli. For New York City residents, having a neighborhood staple open for business day in and day out serves as a steady reminder that there is always someone in our community here to help, and for many people, that someone is Mike. Mike Greco has dedicated himself to promoting his neighborhood's rich Italian heritage, and to tirelessly demonstrating his love for The Bronx and all it has to offer. Most importantly, this gentleman serves as an outstanding example of how one person's lifelong work can leave such a permanent mark in the hearts and minds of so many. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in honoring Mike Greco for his remarkable dedication to improving The Bronx, and sharing its wonders with visitors and residents alike.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to recognize the 217th anniversary of the forcible transfer of the Garifuna people from St. Vincent to Central America, which is to be observed on April 12, 2014. Each year this day serves as an important reminder of the rich history and heritage that is an intrinsic part of this community, and of the history of the United States. This commemoration is the culmination of Garifuna-American Heritage Month, which celebrates the important and unique contributions of the Garifuna community to my home borough of the Bronx, to New York City, and to our nation as a whole. The Garifuna community has a unique heritage, language, and culture. As descendents of West African slaves, Venezuelan Caribs and Arawaks, Garifuna community has long been an important part of several nations, including Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Nicaragua. The Garifuna people first arrived in New York City in the 1930s as part of the merchant marines, and their numbers quickly grew in several neighborhoods. The Garifuna people are now a long established part of the fabric of New York City, and of my district in the Bronx. Today, I am proud to be able to pay tribute to their history and their future. Mr. Speaker, Garifuna-American Heritage Month celebrates the unique cultural contributions and ethnic pride this community has provided to the melting pot that is New York City. I am confident that this month will continue to exist as an important cultural landmark celebration for many years to come. I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing the significance of April 12th in the history of the Garifuna people, and in recognizing their contributions to New York City and to our nation.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the contributions and efforts of Ms. Gloria Cruz, a resident of the Bronx and an advocate for reducing gun violence by enacting sensible gun safety laws. Since 2005, she has served as the Bronx President of the Million Mom March, and she has been tireless in her advocacy for the children, and all residents, of the Bronx. After 9 years of incredible effort, she will be stepping back from her volunteer duties. Ms. Cruz's forceful advocacy over the years has been in honor of her niece, who sadly, was a victim of gun violence. Naiesha Pearson was killed in the Bronx at the age of 10 by a stray bullet--her life cut short in an instant by a senseless act of violence. This tragedy shocked everyone in our community, but for Gloria, it was a call to action. Since that time, she has been a leading voice in our borough and state for stronger gun laws. Ms. Cruz established Bronx chapter for New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, and organized an annual Bronx Million Mom March. She has tirelessly worked to get illegal guns off our streets, to increase background checks, and to create safe neighborhoods for our children. She has comforted the families of other victims of gun violence, and stood by law enforcement in their efforts to reduce gun crimes. The breadth and depth of her advocacy work has been truly amazing. Last year, I had the honor to invite Ms. Cruz as my guest to the President's State of the Union address. During the speech, the President eloquently and passionately outlined the need for common sense improvements to our nation's gun control laws. For many years, Gloria Cruz has brought that same message to both the Bronx and to New York City. Mr. Speaker, through her work, Ms. Cruz has been an inspiration and mentor to many, and a comfort to those who have lost loved ones as a result of gun violence. She has truly honored Naiesha's memory in all of her work. I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Gloria Cruz for all that she has done to help make the Bronx a safer place for our children.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Black History Month this year, I am honored to reflect on the everyday contributions African- Americans have within my district in Bronx County. Creating sustainable change within the environmental justice movement is a daunting task that takes years of consistency, perseverance, and support. I would like to pay homage to the Bronx's premier leader in environmental justice, Ms. Kellie Terry. For more than a decade she has committed countless hours towards ensuring the South Bronx is free from harmful environmental elements and factors. Her work and her dedication to helping others has improved the lives of many of my constituents. A native of The Bronx's Highbridge neighborhood, Kellie has always demonstrated a deep commitment to helping others. That commitment began early, as indicated by her participation in the ``Take Charge Be Somebody'' youth group, and her graduation with honors from the College of the Holy Cross. Since that time, Kellie has been devoted to public service. As the Executive Director of THE POINT Community Development Corporation, Kellie has established a culture of leadership development that goes beyond the traditional youth development program. THE POINT is a non-profit organization dedicated to youth development and the cultural and economic revitalization of the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx. The young men and women who work and participate at THE POINT learn how culture, the environment, food, and economics all play a critical role in transforming their neighborhood. Kellie Terry's leadership has been recognized by The Bronx Chamber of Commerce, El Diario/La Prensa NY, and the New York City Council. She is currently the Board Chair of The New York City Environmental Justice Alliance, the Board Chair of The Bronx River Alliance, and is a candidate for a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning at Pratt Institute. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Kellie Terry for her selfless, dutiful commitment to the residents of Hunts Point, and for her tireless efforts in making The Bronx a place that is more livable for all residents.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, as the Nation readies to observe the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, I rise today to honor Mr. Bernel Arthur Richardson. Born in St. Croix, Mr. Richardson has been an activist, resident, lecturer, consultant, and economic development leader in Bronx County since 1969. As an active member of the Civil Rights movement, Mr. Richardson understood the vital need to end the economic and political inequities facing the African-American community. After graduating from Howard University, Mr. Richardson began working alongside many of the South Bronx's renowned transformative figures to develop programs and initiatives that would create new economic opportunities for South Bronx residents. Mr. Richardson started his public sector career in 1970 when he was appointed by Bronx Borough President Robert B. Abrams to sit as a member of the Community 3 Planning Board. His successes as a member of the Planning Board led him to become a part of the Mayor's Violence Against Women Task Force and to be asked to serve as a consultant on several citywide anti-poverty programs. He recently stepped down as Chairman of the Board at the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation but is still very active as the Executive Director of the Black United Leadership of the Bronx. Mr. Richardson has served as a leader in my borough for many years and has helped make the Bronx a better place through his tireless efforts. As I reflect on the more than four decades of Mr. Richardson's public service to the residents of the Bronx and to the constituents of the 15th Congressional District, it fills me with hope that today's young African American leaders have mentors in the community to look to for guidance as they continue to champion social justice issues in our neighborhoods. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all my colleagues join me in recognizing the past, present, and future accomplishments of Mr. Bernel Richardson.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of Black History Month and to recognize the important contributions made by African- Americans to my congressional district in The Bronx. African-Americans have made countless contributions to and sacrifices for this great nation, and nowhere is this more visible than in New York City. As the Representative of the Fifteenth Congressional District of New York, I have had the opportunity and pleasure to get a firsthand account of the work and contributions of Ms. O'Cynthia Williams to our community, and I am proud to recognize her hard work and dedication to The Bronx. Known throughout New York City as a champion for education equity, Ms. Williams has dedicated her professional life to developing reforms and initiatives that improve the quality of education at New York City's public schools. As a mother of six New York City Public School educated children, she has very keen understanding of what a quality public school education is. As a Parent Leader & Organizer with the New York City Coalition for Educational Justice, and a founding member of the United Parents of Highbridge, Ms. Williams has dedicated countless hours to traveling across New York City and educating parents on the importance of parent engagement, parent leadership development training, and how to make principals and teacher more accountable. Last year, Ms. Williams won an important victory for a neighborhood in my district. While working alongside the United Parents of Highbridge, her dream of establishing Highbridge's first middle school came to fruition. The Highbridge Green School, the Bronx's first ``green'' school, opened its door at the start of the 2013-2014 school year. For the first time in the history of this part of my district, the young men and women of Highbridge will no longer have to travel across several neighborhoods in order to get to their middle school. And Ms. Williams played a vital role in this effort. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing Ms. O'Cynthia Williams, an important advocate for a better future for children in The Bronx and throughout New York City.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. I thank the gentlewoman from New York, Ranking Member Lowey, for yielding me time. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. As ranking member of the Financial Services Subcommittee, I wanted to discuss many of the improvements we made to that section of the bill. Before I begin, I want to thank Chairmen Rogers and Crenshaw and Ranking Member Lowey for their hard work and diligence throughout this process. I also want to thank the staff on both sides of the aisle who spent time away from their families during the holiday season to work out a compromise that I think both sides can support. My colleagues know that the sequester put the appropriations process under an unworkable financial strain, and this legislation helps fix that problem. The Financial Services section of this bill is funded at $21.8 billion, which is more than $1.5 billion above last year's sequester level and almost $5 billion higher than what was approved by the committee last summer. With this increased funding, this subcommittee was able to resolve many of the most urgent funding problems created by the sequester. We kept Postal Service 6-day delivery, restored funding for the Election Assistance Commission, and included additional funding for numerous priorities of the District of Columbia. This bill also removes many harmful riders, riders that would have impacted the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and riders that would have affected the ability of both the SEC and the IRS to do their jobs properly. This is not a perfect bill, but on balance, it is a good bill. I intend to vote in favor of it, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. I want to take a second to bid an early farewell to my colleague from Virginia (Mr. Wolf) and also to thank Chairman Wolf and to thank Ranking Member Fattah for allowing language in their bill which was asked for by the President, which was, at times, a little hanging on the ropes, language that would allow, for the first time in 115 years, the people of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to vote on their political future. I thank them personally for that, and I stand ready to vote for this bill as soon as it comes up for a vote.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and admiration that I stand before you today to honor Mr. Rafael Pineda, who will retire as the lead news anchor for Univision 41 on December 20th. For 42 years Mr. Pineda has been a key voice in providing the Latino community in the New York area with unparalleled news coverage. Since his 1972 undertaking as the lead news anchor at WXTV Univision 41, Mr. Pineda has consistently demonstrated a zest for journalism that is balanced, and offers fair, universal access to all audiences. In 1988 he became host of, ``Punto y Aparte,'' the first Spanish language first local interview program in the tri-state area. Over the last several years he has consistently guided Noticias 41 to first place in New York's Spanish language newscasts. Rafael Pineda has served as an ongoing inspiration for all Latinos by building one of the most distinguished careers in television. Mr. Pineda was the first local news anchor to interview major political figures like President Clinton, and influential celebrities like the late Desi Arnaz. In the year 2000, he was the first Latino to be honored in the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Silver Circle, and over the years he has won several awards, including an Emmy. Most recently, Mr. Pineda was inducted into The New York Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. Mr. Pineda has developed a career that has paralleled my own in regard to public service, and as a colleague, I have been consistently inspired by both his integrity and his unwavering sense of dedication to his audience and to the news. Over the years, I have appeared on his program many times, both in interviews with Mr. Pineda and in news stories concerning legislative issues. I always found that Mr. Pineda was tough but fair in the questions he asked and the issues considered. Regardless of the subject, or his own personal views, he always had the best interests of his audience in mind. After 42 years of service Mr. Pineda has grown to embody all of the best characteristics of the New York area, and I am proud to call him a colleague and a friend. He is an invaluable member of the community whose dedication to the people can be seen in all his work throughout the years, and whose on-air presence will certainly be missed. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in honoring Rafael Pineda as an Emmy award winner, as New York's longest-serving news anchor in history, and most importantly, as an outstanding example of how one person's lifelong work can leave such a permanent mark in the hearts and minds of many.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. I thank the gentleman. And you are correct. You stuffed my first line. I live a few blocks away from Yankee Stadium, and so, for a Yankee fan to honor a Red Sox fan shows the kind of love and respect that I have for him. I don't know if I will survive or be able to sleep tonight, but I will say congratulations, Barry, on the Red Sox winning the World Series. You notice that didn't come out too well, but it is not that easy. Barry Sullivan. When I first came here and I found out that Barry Sullivan was running the Cloakroom, I expected to see Barry Sullivan, the movie star of the 1940s in the black-and-white movies. Instead, I found a class act and a person who really cared about the membership. And that is what is important, that he always took care of the membership. One of the things that always amazed me about Barry was his ability to put up with us. After all, how many times does a person get to answer the same question 200 times in a row to the same people? When are we getting out tonight, Barry? When do you think votes will end? Do I have time to go to dinner? Well, Mr. Serrano, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and he would do it. And then you would show up and you would show up and he would do it. By the third time, I would have told everybody to come in the Cloakroom and I will make one speech to everybody, and then you can all get out of here and leave me alone. But there was always that ability for him to understand the needs we had, the information we needed, and the fact that he provided that for us. But he also had a sense of humor. I gave him a hard time for so long. I have been here 23 years, and I had running lines with him. One of them, walking into the Cloakroom, was, Are the Red Sox still in the league? That was one of the ones. The other one was, What is the loudest noise in September? And he would actually go along with it and say, What? I would say, The Red Sox falling apart. And this went on and on and on. But through it all, Barry, you showed more than just being a sports fan, you showed that you were a class human being, that you were a person who cared, a person who cared in terms of how we got here. I think you, as much as anyone else, understood that none of us get appointed here, that we have to go beg in front of a Legion hall or in front of a subway station or in front of a supermarket for a vote, and you understood that, and that is how you treated us, and that is how I think we treated you. You were the one who told us if there were peanuts coming to that basket in front of you when we were looking for peanuts or chocolate or whatever. You were the person who made sure everything ran well, and I am going to miss you. I am really going to miss you, because I think you are one of the classiest acts around here. I hope you stay in touch. And I will just end this way. We have in Spanish--and I will apologize to the stenographer, and I will translate it later. We have a saying in Spanish: Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres. (English translation of the above statement is as follows:) Tell me who you walk with and I will tell you who you are. We walk with you. We are you. Let's hope that we have learned from you how to be as classy and as humane as you have been for so many years. Thank you, Barry.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. I thank the gentlewoman. Madam Speaker, I will strongly support this bill tonight because it not only opens our government but it enables us to meet our obligations in a proper way. But if we walk away from this tonight without having learned a lesson, this would have all been a futile exercise. The lesson that we have to learn is that we can become obsessed with one issue and close down a government over one issue. When a bill becomes a law and gets signed by a President, gets judged on and approved by the Supreme Court, that is the law of the land. We have to abide by that. We should in no way continue to act as if things really didn't happen--only what is happening now happened. Secondly, we need to understand that there are no winners or losers tonight. The real losers are only the American people, who had to put up with this situation for these past weeks. If we go away tonight not learning that lesson--that we cannot allow that to happen again--it would have been a waste of time. So I hope that we move ahead on the budget commission, that we move ahead on that conference, and that we move ahead in a joint way, in a two-party system, to work on behalf of the American people.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. We are allowed to bring posters and photographs and other items to the floor, why not this red, white, and blue sticker?

Mr. SERRANO. Well, then I will take it off, but it is with great pain that I do so. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 59, to open the government and go to conference on a budget so that we end this Republican government shutdown now.

Mr. SERRANO. You mean this sticker?

Mr. SERRANO. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we keep saying it, and the folks who keep watching us wonder why we keep saying it--or maybe they know why we keep saying it. Little by little, you are reopening the government, but it may take until 2025 to accomplish it at this level. So our hope would be that we just pass the resolution that was passed in the Senate and open the government. Now, this one is an easy one. Everyone is going to vote for this bill. In fact, this bill should pass on a voice vote so that we can get folks and pay them properly for the services they're rendering, but there are other people who need to come to work. There are other people who need to service the American people. There are Americans who need to be serviced, and this is not the way for us to behave. A little bit of history--and I know that some people in the last couple of days have either refused to mention it or gave up on it--and that is that this all started not because there were differences in economic reasoning or behavior. It started because a group of people on your side wanted to attach killing ObamaCare--the Affordable Care Act-- and they were willing to do whatever they needed to do to accomplish that. That's not going to happen. How many times do we have to say that bill was passed by the House, passed by the Senate, signed by the President, and upheld by the Supreme Court? I don't know how many laws you can say that about in this country that we don't go after, and yet some folks just won't give up. The time is now for us to open up the government. The time is now for us to pass this bill, to respect our Federal workers, but also to respect the American people in general by making sure that the government is open. Take up the resolution. It will pass in 2 seconds, I assure you. In fact, I predict that if you bring that resolution to the floor, you may be shocked to get a unanimous vote, because that's what we want to do-- to open up the government and then move on to deal with the issues that we have to deal with. So let's do it, and let's do it quickly. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), one of the great gentlemen, and I mean that.

Mr. SERRANO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me start by saying that I wish we were here on the floor today in order to consider a bill that would reopen the entire Federal Government. This bill would pay all excepted Federal employees across the Federal Government as they would normally be paid irrespective of the shutdown. This is the right thing to do for all of our excepted Federal employees who have continued to work during the shutdown. While this bill will provide some certainty to those individuals, we all know that there is a much easier and better method of accomplishing this goal, and that is to consider and pass the clean Senate continuing resolution which would reopen our Federal Government immediately. I'm still unclear as to why Republicans are refusing to allow a vote on the most basic solution to this reckless shutdown. While this bill guarantees timely pay for our employees, it does not reopen the Federal Government. That means it does nothing to solve the many problems the American people are facing as a result of the Republican decision to shut down the government. Within the subcommittee that I am the ranking member of, the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee, the shutdown has required the Small Business Administration, for instance, to furlough almost two-thirds of its workforce. The agency has had to shutter almost all of its loan programs for our Nation's small businesses, including loan programs for veterans, women-owned small businesses, and small businesses located in underserved areas. Within the Federal judiciary, the Federal defenders currently have enough funding to continue operations for a couple of weeks. However, once that time is up, they may be unable to fulfill their constitutional duty to uphold the Sixth Amendment rights of criminal defendants. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has been cut from 540 employees to 22, making it near impossible for the agency to perform its duty of fully reviewing thousands of different kinds of products. This will clearly increase the risk to the public. The IRS has been forced to furlough most of its workforce, preventing the agency from providing taxpayer assistance to those who have questions, to examine questionable tax returns, or even to accept paper tax filings. The IRS brings in the vast majority of our Nation's revenue, and the Republican shutdown is harming our ability to pay our bills. The American people need a full continuing resolution so that their government can perform the many duties that remain essential to American consumers, investors, taxpayers, and small businesses. A clean CR would do just that. I realize that the majority wants to do this piecemeal, one at a time. I think I'm doing some math, and at this rate, the full government would be open by 2025, so I'm hoping we can do it before that. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SERRANO. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), my dear friend, the low-key Mr. Moran.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I would like briefly to clarify that it is a gentleman of the minority party that has objected and is holding up the pay bill in the Senate. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen), a great leader and the ranking member of the Budget Committee.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Just two quick points. First of all, the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa), the bill yesterday passed on a voice vote, and then he interrupted the Speaker and asked for a vote, which then led to a recorded vote. Secondly, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Lowey), my colleague and ranking member on the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. For the people watching at home, this debate may seem familiar, and it is, because we just considered this same bill yesterday. Unfortunately, nothing has changed in the past 24 hours, so I continue to oppose this bill. Our Nation still finds itself in the midst of a completely unnecessary government shutdown caused by the Republican Party. And we all know the solution--passing the Senate version of the continuing resolution, which would reopen our Nation's government totally for everyone. Doing anything less than a full CR is simply a political ploy. It is a false process designed, strangely enough, by a member of the other body to deflect attention from the harm that the shutdown is causing. Now, for 23 years that I've been in Congress, I've been, at times, begging Members of the other side of the aisle to help the District of Columbia. I've spent years getting rid of riders that they imposed on the District of Columbia. All the things that you just heard today from the chairman of the committee, who I have a lot of respect for--and I know the public listens to this kind of debate and then says, but they say they respect each other. We do. We care for each other. But a lot of this is just simply politics. All of the things that he just said are things that for 23 years his party refused to do for the District of Columbia. This is only to make it look good now so they can find yet another way to go after ObamaCare. In fact, this bill continues that meddling by continuing a harmful and controversial rider that prevents the District of Columbia from spending its own funds on abortion services. No other State in the Nation has such a restriction. Although I support D.C. being able to spend its own money, I do not understand why this bill is not being considered as part of the full Financial Services appropriations bill. Many agencies under our jurisdiction have suffered, or will suffer, devastating problems as a result of the Republican Federal Government shutdown. Let me recap briefly some of the problems that I mentioned yesterday. The Republican shutdown has required the Small Business Administration, our committee, to furlough almost two-thirds of its workforce. The agency has had to shutter almost all of its loan programs for our Nation's small businesses, including loan programs for veterans, women-owned small businesses, and small businesses located in underserved areas. The Federal defenders currently have enough money to continue operations for just a couple of weeks. However, once that time is up, they will be unable to fulfill their constitutional duty to uphold the Sixth Amendment rights of criminal defendants. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is going down from 540 employees to only 22, putting all of the American people at risk. The IRS, a favorite target of the other side, has been forced to lay off most of their workforce, preventing the agency from providing taxpayer assistance to those who have questions, to examine questionable tax returns, or even to accept paper tax filings. The IRS brings the vast majority of our Nation's revenue, and the Republican shutdown is harming our ability to pay our bills. All of these agencies need and deserve a continuing resolution so they can perform the many functions of government that remain essential to American consumers, investors, taxpayers, and small businesses. Let me close by saying that I have a lot of respect for the Members on the other side, but you've been caught up by a small group in your party and one person in the other body who is running this show and telling you that this shutdown has to go down for as long as it can-- until the public tells you not to do it any longer. And they will do that soon. And so rather than now open up the government totally by approving a proper resolution, you're going to start nitpicking little pieces--not necessarily because you have now developed this great love for the District of Columbia, but because you know that it can divide people on this side and on your side. And division is what is best for this situation right now for a lot of folks on your side. I hope that we can see this for what it is--which is a sham, a trick, and more of the same. I reserve the balance of my time.