Paul Tonko

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, in the past week, we have seen yet another devastating storm claim the lives and communities of thousands of people in the Philippines as well as a string of tornadoes that cut through 12 States, from New York to Tennessee. These powerful storms last for a matter of days, while recovery from their destruction takes years. Hurricane Irene began as a tropical storm on August 20, 2011. By the time it completed its path on August 29, it had wreaked havoc from Puerto Rico to New England, becoming the seventh most costly hurricane in our Nation's history, while taking 56 lives. The storm lasted a mere 10 days, no more than 36 hours in any one spot; but in my district and other affected areas, people are still recovering more than 2 years later. Infrastructure still needs to be repaired or replaced or improved upon. Businesses have not fully recovered, and many families are still struggling to rebuild their homes and their lives. The costs continue to mount. We have denied our responsibility to deal with climate change for far too long. The time to act is now.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Representative Polis. Earlier tonight when we started this hour, I made mention of how proud I am of my grandfather, who was an immigrant from Poland. He added, along with his military colleagues, to the muscle of the military might of this Nation, and together, they were able to help serve this Nation so as to proclaim victory in the war that was to end all wars. But we know that that wasn't the case. Nonetheless, with that contribution to this country behind him, he returned home. He returned to build a life. He returned to build a family. He returned to build a community. He returned, like all of our veterans, to build a Nation. Why would we want to stop this pathway to progress? Why would we want to stop this pathway to economic vitality? Why would we want to stop this pathway to citizenship? You know, it is no wonder that so many from various perspectives have come forth, imploring us in this House, imploring the Republican leadership, to set an agenda that includes immigration reform. For everyone from the Chamber of Commerce to the Farm Bureau, from labor to the farm community to the working families of this Nation to so many of the businesses that have asked for sound immigration reform, let's not stand in the way of progress. We only ask the Republican majority in this House to set the tone, open to the discussion, because if it is brought to the floor, I am convinced that we will recognize, as Representatives, as leaders of this Nation, the true definition of this Nation, a land of immigrants. With that, I yield back to Representative Polis and thank him for leading us in this very important discussion here this evening.

Mr. TONKO. You are absolutely right. These are very legitimate, justified issues to talk about, but when it comes to immigration reform, people are saying: Look, let's get this done. We have many people who are developing great intellectual skills, they are getting great higher ed opportunities, and we are not taking advantage of that. We are not incorporating them into the American peoplescape. We have people who are assisting the agricultural industry, the engineering industry, the technical industry, the innovation economy, the medical health care industry, people need to fill these efforts with this immigrant power that is available. It is great to join you on the floor. I know there are many who want to speak their voice here, and rightfully so, because this is a very pertinent issue right now. Reform is very much required, and let's get it done.

Mr. TONKO. It is much more.

Mr. TONKO. We have had many, many requests to move with immigration reform. It is one of the greatest bits of requests that we get.

Mr. TONKO. The gentleman from Colorado speaks of the tremendous support of the American public to do immigration reform. I think it is very easy to understand. It is explained by the deep-routed sense of heritage in this Nation for everyone. Many of us can identify with immigrant roots. I believe that is what drives the desire to have this reform put into play. We talk about the overwhelming polls for support for this effort, and we are halfway through this battle because the Senate has made a major statement with the measure that they have brought forth, and so we can meet that opportunity here in the House of Representatives. Earlier, the gentleman from Colorado talked about the military strength that comes with immigrants, and cited many of the facts that really speak favorably to the shot in the arm that they give the military. We think of some of those unique skills that they bring to the military as the immigrant servicemembers. We talk about the opportunity to draw upon their second language proficiency. That is very important in service to the military. Certainly their greater cultural understanding, which is again a benefit that is borne by the military because of immigrants or those looking in some way at some time to be naturalized. They could join the military and provide that strength. We have a long history of decorated service, with 20 percent of all Medal of Honor recipients having been immigrant servicemembers. The list goes on and on. There is a lower attrition rate. There is proven data that are available. So this is a powerful statement, and when we think about the heritage of this Nation, when we think about that American quilt, there are so many patches brought together under one common banner of different cultures, of races, of nationalities, that really make a statement of who we are. So this is just a natural move forward to have an immigration reform policy developed here this year in Congress.

Mr. TONKO. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Representative Polis, for bringing us together for what I believe is very thoughtful discussion about immigration reform, for we are by definition a Nation of immigrants. I believe that the passion that is the luring card to America is that American Dream. People for decades and centuries throughout the history of this Nation have pursued that American Dream with the opportunity to climb those economic ladders, those opportunities that present themselves in this country, where we are emboldened by immigrants; and certainly the military is no exception. Tonight, we will be talking about the empowerment that comes with H.R. 15, which is a very thoughtful piece of legislation. I am a cosponsor on that legislation. I believe it is important for us to follow suit that the bipartisan spirit in the Senate has already initiated. The opportunities for us to allow for, some suggest, 11 million, if not more, immigrants to pursue that path to citizenship is an empowerment tool. It is great for our economic recovery. As was mentioned by Representative Polis, it provides for a great dent in our deficit. It allows for us over the 20 years to come to experience tens of billions of reduction in the deficit, which is no short feat to be ignored. It is important for us to understand the economic vitality that sound immigration reform produces for this Nation. We are in need of many of the skill sets that our immigrants bring. You talk to the agriculture industry and those skill sets are there. You talk to the medical industry, you talk to the engineers that are required in this Nation, and many immigrants are assuming those roles. So it is important. We look at the tremendous history in this Nation of the military, the empowerment that came to this Nation, that comes to this Nation as we speak. There are our daughters and sons on the battlefield protecting our liberties, promoting our freedoms in this Nation to freedom-loving nations around the world. There has been an awesome sector within that military force that either is immigrants or those who are residing in this country and are not yet United States citizens. They have made a statement in the military history of this Nation. They have made a very strong statement of support of this Nation and all for which she stands. They have defended the banner that unites us as the United States flag. They have certainly made their mark. As of 2009, I am informed that there are some 114,000-plus foreign- born individuals serving in the military. Twelve percent of them were not even United States citizens. So it makes a very powerful statement. I am a grandson of immigrants. My grandfather, William Tonko, served in World War I. I am proud of that history that he helped to write. He did that as an immigrant coming to this Nation, understanding that as he left Poland that there would be this American Dream that he could pursue. My colleague made mention of the DREAMers--a tremendous bit of nomenclature that we put on to people who were born here, perhaps, or came as youngsters and are denied opportunities. We have within the context of H.R. 15 the opportunity to empower DREAMers. They are allowed with certain programming now that we have with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, with that program they are enabled to, perhaps, get a reprieve from deportation or be able to secure a work permit; but they cannot serve in this Nation's military. H.R. 15 would empower the DREAMers, people who know no other country, who have been raised here and want to serve but cannot. There are great improvements made in H.R. 15. I am proud to stand here with my colleagues who will speak in support of H.R. 15. It, I believe, provides a shot in the arm for our economic recovery. It provides military strength, as has been proven throughout our history. Twenty percent of all Medal of Honor recipients have been immigrant servicemembers. The track record is there. The data are speaking to the empowerment that comes to the military with those who have that passion. That passion of immigrants, that passion of naturalized citizens, that whole effort of those who are looking to be naturalized, believing in this Nation and all for which she stands is a tremendous statement of who we are as a Nation and our definition as a clustering of immigrants with this quilt work of Americana that allows for the economic climb for the opportunities, the ladders of opportunity, called the American Dream.'' That is the passion that fills our hearts and souls. They have given to this military, they have given to the fight for freedom, they have given to the fight to protect our liberties. H.R. 15 goes a long way to recognize that and further strengthen this Nation. I am happy to join my colleagues tonight in support of H.R. 15.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Representative Holt. I will close by just focusing in on this graphic, which showed the enormity, the immense breadth and depth of this Superstorm Sandy. Many didn't relate that storm to a huge tide coming in. For any of us who have jumped into the ocean, we know the power of a tide. But to have the highest storm surge ever measured recorded at Kings Point, New York, the highest ever recorded at 14.38 feet, tells a story. The fact that the water level at Battery Park in Lower Manhattan reached 9.1 feet above the average high tide line. Think of it--1 inch, 2 inches, a foot of water additional that comes into a flood zone calculates that much more damage. Here, what we had with the situation were records beyond 9 feet, approaching 10 feet, a storm surge of 14.38 feet. We are talking monumental damage. We are talking about a force that swept away lives, a force that sparked fires in neighborhoods, a force that wiped out businesses and found neighborhoods still vacant, a silence that has befallen these given communities because of the ravages of Mother Nature that can be prevented if we put our minds and hearts and efforts into that concept of being better stewards of the environment. This is a place where a plan of action can take hold. In these Halls of government, leadership is called upon. A moral compass points in the direction of us being sounder friends of the environment and protectionists when it comes to getting things done so as to avoid the high scale of economic destruction that has gripped our communities. I still see it in the aftermath of Irene and Lee in the 20th Congressional District of New York. Damage done in 2011 is still causing hardship in 2013, impacted by all sorts of weather events that are atypical of our region--tropic storms, hurricanes, tornados--that wiped through the area and required all sorts of volunteerism to enter in, and certainly dollars that were shared from private sector sources and from FEMA at the Federal level and various other programs at the Federal Government. It will be an exhausting situation that will continue to drain the taxpayers as we move forward if we don't take action. On this very solemn day of commemoration, as we call to mind all of the destruction that came into 24 States a year ago this evening, should be all the call to action that is required of us. Since then, it has been followed by devastation in Colorado, wildfires in the Southwest, and predictions that more and more damage will be part and parcel to a future that is allowed to go forward without the soundness of stewardship of the environment that ought to be a high priority in this House, in the United States Senate, and certainly across this Nation. Sound leadership begins with the acknowledgement that there is a challenge out there and that the challenge is then met with accurate and detailed and information exchange that builds a dialogue that creates a package of response that indicates that we are a compassionate, caring, loving people in this Nation that through the Halls of this House can provide hope for this environment and hope to families who have suffered the consequences and hope to generations unborn as we pass to them a stronger sense of stewardship of this Earth. It has been our pleasure in this hour to have shared many of our ideas, many of our concerns, many of the anecdotal bits that personalize a given situation for far too many, and we are thankful for the opportunity. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TONKO. I think it is very important for us to recognize, too, that here this evening you and several of our colleagues and I have shared thoughts about painful consequences in our given regions, or we have talked about not only flooding but drought situations and wildfires. We have talked about the economic impact of climate change with these associated storms. We have talked about the recovery efforts. We have talked about Superstorm Sandy on this 1-year commemoration date, still finding its neighborhoods, its communities, its people, its businesses, its farming communities still struggling to recover. We have talked about all of this, and now I think we need to close, in the remaining minutes we have in this hour, and talk about a plan of action. Now, SEEC, the Sustainable Energy and Environmental Coalition, has a growing number of representatives--56 strong as we speak. Individuals are talking about the consciousness, raising the consciousness, talking about awareness out there in the community. But there is also a requirement for legislative action. Absent that, we move to an executive order, and some have expressed concern about that. Leaving no other option available, the Chief Executive, the President, has moved to resolve some of these concerns through organizations and agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency. So I think there needs to be this dialogue here and in the United States Senate, working with the President, with the White House, and the administration to develop a sound package of legislation that allows us to go forward. It is apparent after the number of stories heard here just this evening and the personal anecdotes that you shared, Representative Holt, about people from New Jersey and the pain that they endured. That should motivate us to move forward with a plan of action, understanding that the cost of inaction is very, very heavy. Many have placed threshold dates out there. They are not that far into the future--2017, 2020 some say at the latest. It is our stewardship that is called upon. We inherited this environment, this Earth, from ancestors who preceded us. Now it is our challenge, I believe, to hand that to next generations unborn in even better working order with the growth worldwide of population, with the industrialization of many Third World nations, the reach to automobiles being put on the highways around the world, the development of power supplies around the world, causing this huge growth of challenge in terms of carbon emission and eventually methane that will destroy antibodies out there. So the challenge is before us. I think we need to go forward with a very focused effort of policy development that can be done in the very near future here in the House. Avoiding that, walking away from it, denying it ought to be revisited by those who have suffered heavily from the damages of these storms. Certainly as we focus on Superstorm Sandy this evening, on that one storm here, it has brought to mind many, many situations where people are still suffering--blocks destroyed by fires in Superstorm Sandy that destroyed neighborhoods. We have a challenge before us, Representative Holt.

Mr. TONKO. In every measurement that we make, there is a huge impact that climate change calculates to the negative. You talked about the impact worldwide. It is the sightings of a perfect storm, with less available land as it erodes with these floodings and with a growing population worldwide. That is the formation of a perfect storm. But when we look closer to home, in these United States, you and I are part of the delegations that represent coastal States. The coastal erosion and the erosion of valuable farmland in my district are realities, and it is measurable already. The forewarnings are out there to take action to prevent further erosion. When you think of that impact, it comes in several dimensions, perhaps agricultural in nature as it is a major sector of our economy in this country, or in tourism. One of the bits of erosion that I saw--one of the impacts that came-- was with tourism infrastructure, with very valuable historic sites that were nearly ruined and that are along the beds of creeks and rivers that are tourism destinations but that now are shut for business as they get repaired. Some of these elements are extremely delicate, and part of our fabric as a Nation is to be able to share our sense of history with either other people of the United States or with visitors who travel to this land, so there are impacts that come. I would also talk about the infrastructure impacts on the energy side. We witnessed situations in which some fared better than others, and I was proud of our SEEC organization. Now, you and I are longtime charter members of SEEC, and I am proud of the fact that we called upon the Sandy Rebuilding Task Force to help communities rebuild stronger and smarter by having the task force issue guidance for combined heat and power, CHP systems. Those systems fared well in areas ravaged by these superstorms. CHP, as many know, is an innovative sort of concept, an energy- efficient method for generating electricity and harnessing heat, the thermal energy that accompanies that. In CHP systems, heat that normally is wasted--allowed to escape--is captured and recovered as useful energy, and that allows us to require and to, perhaps, promote this integrated concept approach far more efficient than conventional power generation would be. Conventional methods have a typical combined efficiency of 45 percent, while CHP can operate as high as 80 percent. This technology is not only efficient; it also has demonstrated resiliency to extreme weather events. I can cite South Oaks Hospital on Long Island, which is a hospital facility that includes an acute psychiatric hospital, a nursing home and an assisted living center. During the storm and its aftermath, the hospital maintained full power through the use of its 1.3 megawatt CHP system. Again, lessons, hopefully, will be learned. So, as we go to replace, we also have to transition some of our thinking and make certain that we are building systems that will be able to endure these storms into the future. Certainly amongst our priorities has got to be this all-out effort to combat global warming, climate change, to make certain that we do all of our preventative measures. Then when we rebuild, we do it in a way that is efficient so that sound government, smart government, is the tool that is reached to rather than awkwardly replacing in a sort of rush order to get us back into a working progressive outcome, but where we haven't addressed some of the dynamics of the ravages of weather, which is teaching us several lessons as we go through these many storms. So you are absolutely right. The people are the most impacted here. We have to keep them front and center in our thinking, but all of these services that either provide jobs for people or provide economic opportunities, economic growth, or that meet their public safety needs or their energy needs or their household needs or their business needs have got to be brought into this calculus that is adjusting concepts based on the theory of climate change, and where we, again, underscore the importance of prevention.

Mr. TONKO. Thank you very much, Representative Peters. The gentleman makes mention of awareness and of the many visuals out there that strike awareness even a coast away. Representative Holt, I just noticed recently in the news the reopening of the boardwalk--of the very famous, traditional boardwalk in your home State--as you continue to recover from the damages of Superstorm Sandy. The awareness is an amazing piece of the action here, and something as visible and understandable as that boardwalk brings it home for many people far removed from New Jersey.

Mr. TONKO. The Representative talks about the growing acknowledgment by agencies and various elements of government, and I can tell you also a personal experience of watching the constituents in our area understand more starkly and painfully the impact of global warming in the aftermath of Irene and Lee. Representative Peters has long promoted the awareness concept-- wanting people to understand the awareness of global warming and climate change. Your thoughts on that.

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Representative Heck. We have also been joined by yet another freshman of the House, from the State of Pennsylvania, another strong friend of the environment and a person who has spent much of his career defending the environment. Representative Matt Cartwright joins us this evening. Welcome. Thank you for participating with the SEEC coalition.

Mr. TONKO. Thank you, Representative Peters. We are also joined by Representative Denny Heck from Washington State, who is a freshman but has brought a very strong voice of advocacy for the environment to this Chamber. We are proud to have him join us this evening and raise again the dialogue that is so essential about climate change, global warming, and the economic impact that every region across this country is experiencing. So, welcome, Representative Heck, and thank you for being such an outstanding advocate.

Mr. TONKO. Thank you very much, Representative Holt. Certainly your State, my home State suffered economic consequences to the nth degree. It is a stark reminder that the cost of inaction here is painfully borne by taxpayers into the future also. So I am proud of the SEEC organization, the coalition raising the consciousness of the House as to the importance of this issue. We are joined by Representative Scott Peters from California. Representative Peters has worked in the environmental arena and has contributed greatly in that regard. We are proud to have you join us this evening, Representative.

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, on this evening of October 29, we commemorate the 1-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, which devastated the east coast. Many are still recovering from that tragic storm, and it certainly was a major force to be reckoned with. That force of nature was, at one point, nearly 1,000 miles wide over the ocean front, and when it landed in southern Jersey, it was nearly 900 miles wide. It impacted so many States; 24 States, in number, felt the impact of that superstorm. It was devastation to property; it was devastation to lives: 162 people in the United States lost their lives. And the fact that the storm surged to some record proportions reminds us of the impact of climate change. Now as a member of the New York delegation in this House, my area received some mild impact from that superstorm. But ironically, the year before, Hurricanes Irene and Lee impacted the upstate region of New York and, again, devastated our area with loss of life, certainly of valuable farm land that was eroded, and damage to communities, businesses, and farms across the upstate region. These are issues that are brought to mind this evening as we commemorate that 1-year anniversary, as many continue to struggle to recover from the ravages of Mother Nature. The cost of climate inaction is severe. Climate change is an issue of science. It is certainly an issue of public health. And most definitely, it is an issue of economics, economic vitality. Earlier, the Sustainable Energy and Environmental Coalition, which is a growing number--56, to be exact--of Democrats in the House looking to bring about significant policy reforms that speak to the environmental and energy needs of this Nation, began to provide a laser-sharp focus on the cost of climate change to our economy. In 2011 and 2012, there were some 25 extreme weather events that caused at least $1 billion each or more in damages. Total estimated economic damages were approaching $200 billion, and the cost to taxpayers, some $136 billion. The cost to individual taxpayers totaled $1.61 billion. So we know that there is a tremendous impact here that has been realized by the lack of a focus on climate change and global warming. As we continue to look at recovery--even from Irene and Lee in the upstate New York portion--as we look at the impact, the damage that came with Superstorm Sandy, as we look at the damage recently to Colorado, and if we look at the other extreme--not rainfall and flooding, but certainly drought and looking at the wildfires that have consumed some States in our country, there is definitely economic consequence that comes with climate change. In my territory, in my area that is part of the 20th Congressional District, it becomes very apparent that we need to do more than just replace. If data compiled are telling us that extreme rainfall has been part of the last decade or two, then wise, effective government will not merely replace but reevaluate how to reconfigure, for instance, a bridge that may cross, traverse one of the creeks. I know that that is the case in many locations. Looking at electric utilities, looking at what withstood the pressures of the storm; combined heat and power systems that we will talk about during this hour that apparently withstood greater pressure than some of the traditional systems, so we go forward with not just merely replacement, but we go forward with a renewal, a revision of how to take that area that was affected and make it work again. That is sound government. That is effective government. Tonight we are joined by several colleagues. We are joined by Representative Rush Holt from the State of New Jersey, and we are joined by Representative Scott Peters from the State of California. We may be visited by other colleagues this evening. We are going to talk about impacts they have seen perhaps in their region and talk about the science and economics related to climate change. I believe we, through SEEC, through the Sustainable Energy and Environmental Coalition, have brought about the discussion, have developed the dialogue, have encouraged moving forward, if you will, on this very important dynamic, understanding it full well so that we can move into prevention because the question asked here by a growing number of colleagues is, how long can we afford to go without a plan of action before we understand that the cost of replacement or renewal or transformation is going to drain the taxpayers, is going to drain the individuals and families impacted, the businesses impacted? No one wins in that scenario. So, Representative Rush Holt, if you would like to share some thoughts this evening as we begin our hour, we welcome you.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Madam Speaker, oceans cover 70 percent of our Earth's surface. They are home to a vast number of organisms that form an intricate food web--one that the world has relied on for high-quality protein and steady employment for generations. If we continue on our current path, we will face a serious decline in these essential resources. The oceans have been absorbing nearly one-fourth of the carbon emissions we release every day. We think of the oceans as too big to fail, but we are altering their physical, chemical, and biological characteristics at an increasing pace. Our oceans are warming, current patterns are changing, and salinity and acidity are changing. Sea levels are rising, and many fisheries are being overexploited. It is long past time for us to address climate change--to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage our coastal waters and the oceans in a more sustainable way. Oceans have sustained life on this planet for thousands of years. We should act now to ensure that they continue to do so for thousands more.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up the Senate amendment to H.J. Res. 59, the clean CR, and go to conference on a budget so that we end this Republican government shutdown.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, as we slug through the second week of the government shutdown, American families and small businesses are hurting. Every day of the last 10 days I have been contacted by constituents who cannot operate their stores, pay tribute to their loved ones at a Federal memorial, or secure a small business loan. These unnecessary hardships damage our economy, and could have been avoided if House Republicans were not obsessed with taking away health care benefits from the public we serve. Government has the duty to keep its doors open, provide vital services, and pay its bills. These items should not be considered a Democratic Party wish list. They are basic functions of government and should not be used as an opportunity to secure political points or hold America's economy hostage. It is well past time to vote to end the government shutdown, pay our bills, get the Nation back to work, and grow our economy.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. My pleasure. I appreciate the gentleman from California bringing us together tonight in thoughtful discussion about what is chaos here in the Nation's Capitol. So, Representative Garamendi, thank you for bringing us together with Representatives from New Jersey and from Connecticut and from Pennsylvania, and others who will probably join us that will speak to the unnecessary pain that has trickled into the lives of far too many working families across this country and impacting so many small businesses from coast to coast with the ill effects of a government shutdown--a Republican government shutdown simply because, as you just heard the gentleman from California indicate, we need to vote on a CR, a continuing resolution, a bill that allows for the budget to continue into a date certain as mentioned in that bill, most likely 2 months--8 weeks--as an extender into perhaps mid-December. Why do we need to do that? So that we can bring stability into the process, allow government to be funded, allow for the doors to be opened, allow for the lights to go on and reopen government. That's the first step in the sequence. Secondly, another cornerstone bit of legislation coming quickly upon us, giving the green light to America to pay her bills. America's working families understand what that's about. They know that they play by the rules. They roll up their sleeves. They work hard. They expect to taste success. They pay their bills on time, and they expect their beloved country to do the same thing. Our second step in the process. Then thirdly, buying this 8 weeks of time allows us to immediately name those individuals who will be the representatives for the majority and minority parties in each of the Houses of Congress to sit down and nail down a budget in those ensuing 8 weeks to make certain that stability again is the outcome. That's what we're asking for. Mr. Speaker, you are the Speaker not only to the Tea Party, not only to the Republican Conference, but to the entire House, the United States House of Representatives. Let all of us vote on what is a clean CR, which has been approved by the United States Senate--and, by the way, in negotiations to date, accepts your number, the lowest number in the process. We're not happy with that number, but we're going to cave to your request to allow for government to be refunded, to be reopened, and for us to move forward. That's what it's about. We're asking for dignity to be expressed for America's working families. We're allowing for certainty to be the outcome for our small business community so that we can grow our economy, allow for the climate that produces both public and private sector job growth that allows us to move forward with a sense of hope. That's what the request is here. Why don't you let us vote on a clean CR? Are you fearful that it might pass? Are you fearful that you don't get your way? Because you know, in the 45 votes that have been taken on a debt ceiling limit vote since the days of President Ronald Reagan, those 45 measures have been approved 38 times without any bells and whistles--and certainly unprecedented to have attached to the vote some sort of clutter that deals with the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Never have we reached to that sort of negotiated outcome where we are repealing the law of the land--in this case, the law of the land that is 3 years old, was approved by a majority in the House of Representatives, was approved by a supermajority in the United States Senate, was tested, because of your concern, before the highest Court of the land, and the Supreme Court gave it thumbs-up in meeting the constitutionality test. What more do we need to do to convince you? Let me just say this, Representative Garamendi, quickly so we can get to our colleagues. I want to share with you some of the results in these few 8 days already--but painful 8 days for far too many. By the end of this month, food pantries like the one in my district in Cohoes, New York, may not have the money to stay open. That is the situation with many of our food pantries. This is a facility that helps feed 215 hungry families in the capital region of New York State. Projections are that one of the providers of electronics for our fighter jets, our submarines, and our helicopters in Saratoga Springs, New York, in the 20th Congressional District that I represent, have grinded to a halt as inspectors can't complete contracts and new orders cannot come in. We also have impacting us a forensic meteorology business in Niskayuna, New York--again, in the 20th Congressional District of New York--that works each and every day with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that helps bring benefits to all of us from the devastation of Mother Nature. These are jobs that are meaningful-- meaningful to the quality of life of people across this country, that are meaningful to working families who are now without jobs, people who are not getting paid and showing up to work. These are devastating consequences to the economy. We implore the leadership of this House, we implore the Speaker to call for a vote on a clean continuing resolution that embraces your number, the lowest number in negotiations that we will settle upon. We will offer our votes for that kind of measure, only give us that chance so that America can have her government funded, we can move forward to advance the debt ceiling limit bill vote that will allow for America to pay her bills, and then finally move to that conference table, where representation from both parties in each of the Houses will nail down a budget in the ensuing 8 weeks. That will bring stability to the economy and will bring economic and social justice to the people of this great country. Let's move forward with that sense of fairness.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to highlight just one of the stories that comes in here each and every day from my congressional district highlighting the unnecessary hardship the Republican government shutdown has brought upon the American people. One of my constituents, who works in business aviation, contacted my office just this week to tell me about the burden the shutdown has had on his business and his family's bottom line. During the government shutdown, aviation components cannot be produced, financed, bought, sold, inspected, or registered without the Federal workers that are currently furloughed. Today, large parts of this industry--and our economy at large--simply cannot function. Stories like this will continue until the House brings up the Senate CR, which funds our government at the level House Republicans fought for. Stories like these are not isolated to upstate New York. This is happening in countless corners of our Nation and across all regions and all of our districts back home. A piecemeal approach that picks winners and losers in our Federal agencies is no way to run the country. Bring up the Senate CR. Take ``yes'' for an answer. Let's get this Nation back to work.

Mr. TONKO

Mr. TONKO. I will just make mention of this, that I think the muddying up, if you will, of a CR, a continuing resolution, first, calling it a bill on the floor several times over is disingenuous. People place trust in us. You should honor that trust, and not, nomenclature-wise, change the outcome here. We have an act of Congress that was signed into law. This is a law of the land, in this case, to provide for affordable, accessible, quality health care. If you didn't like that result, there were opportunities to change it. Candidate Romney, Governor Romney, Representative Ryan, as the Vice President, they ran to repeal the Affordable Care Act. The people of this great Nation decided in that Presidential election for the re- election effort of President Obama, that they were going to stay with the President. So that statement was made. The highest court in the land reviewed it for constitutionality. They approved that, gave it a thumbs-up. Why are we still dwelling on this situation? Why are we bogging down the process, where you either defund, deny, repeal, whatever the course may be. We have seen it over and over again, so that 45, 46, 47 votes in a row to repeal were all denied. When you do the same thing over and over and over again, expecting different results, people have defined that as insanity. So we have not provided the sort of integrity this process needs. We have not shown the respect to the individuals and families that are automatically showing today, with the very aggressive, very involved activism today to sign up with the Affordable Care Act. We are disregarding that. We're disrespecting that. And I think the polling that was done, I saw a poll today that said 71 percent of the American public does not believe we should hold up and fold the government, shut down the government because of an effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. So the public is speaking. They're telling us, do it better. And thank you, Representative Garamendi, for the opportunity to join you.

Mr. TONKO. Right. And, again, every effort has been made to advance letters, to speak from the floor, to notice the leadership of our request, our urging, our challenge to name these people. That's the way the business gets done. It was avoided, for whatever reason, perhaps not believing in your own budget that you put together as a House. Otherwise, why would you not bring it forward? Why would you not vote on your own budget in a way that would have us at the conference table?

Mr. TONKO. And the leader of the minority has named the conferees for the Democrats in the House. So you're right, just about everyone named those individuals that will be part of the team at the conference table, getting work done.