Providing for Consideration of the Senate Amendment to H.J. Res. 59, Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. 3210, Pay Our Military Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. I thank Ranking Member Slaughter for yielding me the time.

It is clear that the Republican majority is here tonight to begin the process of shutting down the Government of the United States. How irresponsible; how counterproductive; and what a politically manufactured crisis.

The uncertainty this behavior engenders across our Nation, the fits and starts, on-again-off-again approach the majority is employing is not in the interest of economic growth and job creation, nor America's standing globally.

Speaker Boehner said he would not bring a bill to the floor that hasn't been posted online for at least 72 hours. Well, it's obvious he and the House Republicans won't keep their promise. In fact, this is the 34th time that legislation has been brought to the floor with less than 72 hours to read it. So we find ourselves on the brink of a government-wide shutdown, driven by a minority of the majority of just one House of Congress.

Simply put: the Republicans want to shut down the Federal Government because they're mad about the results of the 2012 elections. Republicans are mad that the Supreme Court held that the Affordable Care Act was constitutional. Threatening a government shutdown because you don't get your way is not how we should be going about conducting the people's business.

According to a CBS News poll, 80 percent of Americans say threatening a government shutdown during budget debate is not an acceptable way to negotiate.

Our entire country will be affected by what is happening here. Moody's Analytics estimates that a shutdown of 3 to 4 weeks would cut economic growth in half.

Why do this when our economy is recovering? Housing loans won't be made, small business loans; our national parks will be closed; lifesaving research won't be conducted. Why do this? Why put the country through all this?

Previous government shutdowns and manufactured crises have had severe consequences. During the first 1995 shutdown, 800,000 workers were furloughed. And during the debt ceiling fight in 2011, the Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 1,700 points, or nearly 14 percent.

Let's stop the antics and govern, not shut down the Government of the United States.

I ask my colleagues to vote against this measure and support economic growth not manufactured crises.

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