Political Brinksmanship Over Reasonable Compromise

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. SEWELL of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I take to the floor with a heavy heart, a heavy heart that is disappointed, frustrated and, frankly, outraged by our government shutdown.

Once again, we have put partisan politics ahead of the needs of the American people; and as I stand before you this morning, millions of Americans are already suffering the consequences at the hands of a dysfunctional Congress. The legislative process that has resulted in this shutdown reflects a neglect of the responsibilities that we were sent here to meet.

The House majority had a chance to avert the government shutdown, but chose political brinkmanship over responsible compromise. In order to avoid the shutdown earlier this week, the Senate sent the House a bill, a compromise spending bill, which accepted the Republicans' lower funding levels. Instead of allowing a clean funding bill to come to this floor, the House majority, once again, attached unreasonable amendments which had no hope of gaining bipartisan support.

Now House Republicans want to partially open the Federal Government, cherry-picking winners and losers. This is no way to run a government. Think about it: if we and all of the small businesses and big businesses out there would run their institutions the way we run this Congress, our economy would be in shambles.

I hate to play the blame game, Mr. Speaker, but this government shutdown is solely the responsibility and the creation of House Republicans. We have tried to compromise, but Republicans time and time again have been using America's tax-paying money to redebate again and again the Affordable Care Act.

People say that House Democrats, the Senate, and the President should compromise on this. How do you extend a hand to a clenched fist? You cannot compromise when the other side is not willing to accept the fact that the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. It has been debated. It has been voted on. It has been found to be constitutional. Let's just get on with the American people's business.

I think that if we all ran our households and our businesses the way this Congress is now functioning, simply put, it would be unacceptable. We know better. We know that it's irresponsible and reckless to make the American people pay when we don't get our way. We were sent to Congress to represent something bigger than ourselves. We were sent to represent the American people, all of the people, all Americans, not just the privileged few.

We represent every military family and every veteran, from the homeless veteran in Birmingham, Alabama, to those serving overseas right now. We represent every child in this great country of ours, from the child who will eat free lunch today because of the SNAP program, to the child here in D.C. who is enrolled in the Head Start program. All Americans. We were elected to be representatives. We need to start earning the title of being a representative by representing all of the people. It's unacceptable that we are in this Chamber while the rest of government is shut down. It is unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, I urge that you bring to this House floor a clean funding bill unencumbered by unreasonable amendments. Bring a clean funding bill to this floor, and I guarantee you that both Republicans and Democrats would pass that bill and we would open back up the Federal Government.

It's important that we put our partisan politics aside and truly start representing the American people that sent us here. Let's be representative of all the people.

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