Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, tonight is about the continuing destructive obsession that our Republican friends have and their refusal to recognize that there was an election just some months ago. You made the argument to the American people, and they rejected that argument and reelected President Obama. You have not gotten over that to this minute; and as a result, you are about to shut down the government. You can get up here and say over and over and over and over again, We don't want to shut down the government; but, Mr. Speaker, their actions belie their words.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats--as will surprise no one--are against shutting down this government. It's bad for our people, it's bad for our security, it's bad for our economy, it's bad for jobs. And you all know that.

And you don't have the votes because the people elected Democrats as the majority in the Senate and the President of the United States, and they don't agree with you. Newt Gingrich said when that was the case, you had to compromise.

What compromise are we talking about? We're taking your number--your number--and you will not take ``yes'' for an answer. How sad. What a shameful day this is in the history of the House of Representatives.

A shutdown would be harmful to our economy, our national security, and the creation of jobs, as I just said. That's why we have compromised and said we'll take your number to keep government open while we negotiate over the next 6 weeks.

Nobody in your party rationally believed that you were going to succeed in your objective--nobody. It's a political ploy. It's a message, Mr. Speaker, to their most radical contingent. We are willing to take the next 6 weeks to discuss how we get from where we are to where we need to be.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.

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

Mr. HOYER. We could do that, Mr. Speaker, if only Republicans would take ``yes'' for an answer.

Their Tea Party faction has made clear where it stands. They don't like the Affordable Care Act--I don't think anybody doubts that--but the Affordable Care Act has been upheld by the Supreme Court and remains the law of our land.

Mr. Speaker, the Senate has now voted twice to send us a clean CR. Now it's time for the Speaker and the majority leader to put the Senate's clean compromise CR on this floor and, in their words, let the House work its will. Have the courage, Mr. Speaker, to have the majority party put on this floor a bill which will keep the government open and which the Senate will pass.

Mr. Speaker, have the Republican Party have the courage of its rhetoric and let the House work its will. I dare you to do that.

Let democracy work. Don't be dictating to America that they're going to shut down the government. Let's vote on it. Put a clean CR on this floor.

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