concessions in the park and the businesses that depend on this area are in terrible trouble and their season is basically over by the end of the weekend. virginia acquired much of the land and give it to the federal government to become part of the national parks system and i'm sure that there are people who are in richmond now who are saying if you can't open it, maybe we can. ..

we closed and secured all the 401 national parks across the country. and furloughed more than 20,000 of our employees consistent with the antideficiency act. approximately 3,000 flows were excepted from the furlough to respond threat, the safety of human life, and the production of property. the closure has far reaching impact across the country on families with planned visits, businesses, gateway community, and employees. the national park system welcomes more than 383 million people every year. the park are loved not only because they are beautiful and historic because they are well

managed, protected, and interpreted and maintained by a professional work force, a work force that is now largely on furloughed. the national parks are incredible economic drivers. in communities near national park and contribute 76 million each day to the national economy. in response to the economic impact of the closure the secretary announced on october 10th. they would consider agreement with governors in ability to fully fund the national park service personnel to reopen in the states inspect is a practical and temporary solution that will lessen the pain for some business and community. turning away visitors is not our culture nor our dna. we look forward to reopening all 401 national parks. the closure did not apply to through roads and park that -- point located outside the parks such as rock creek parkway.

it also did not affect first amendment activities on the national mall and memorial parks and independent national historic park in philadelphia due to regulations in court cases specific to these areas. because these two areases are long standing venue for hundreds of first amendment activities each year, we anticipate there had would be the potential for such activities during the shut down. the major park service maintain law enforcement -- provided by the u.s. park release and rangers for emergency and disaster assistance. we maintained our fire fighting programming with board -- projects that were funded with nonlapsing appropriations of also continued. there has been lot of attention on the national mall. there are among the many places that the national park service cares for the honor for those that have fought and died for our nation. we are proud of the special relationship we share with america's veteran. we know there here --

we will be here to protect these memorial now and in for future generations. on a normal day, there are over 300 national mall and memorial park employees on duty. the rangers provide the eyes and ears of the u.s. park release. they enhance the visitor experience by sharing the history of the war, keeping the grounds and the restrooms clean, maintaining the landscape. and overseeing special effects. awe bull -- all but a dozen have been furloughed. even though the police commissioned officers have been excepted from the furlough given the limited staff resources. prudent steps were taken to secure the life and property of the national icons. we know the visits to the world war ii veterans to the memorial are pilgrimmings and many will make it only once. we have worked to make sure no

honor flight group, vitamin, our their family has been turned away. like wise, those also engaging in first-amendment activities are welcome to visit the war memorial. congress has marged -- charged with a preservation and protection of the park's natural, historic, and culture resources for the benefit of future generations inspect requirement exists whether the parks are open or shut down. with few employees available, we are endeavoring to fulfill our mission the benchmarking we can. look forward to the end of the shut down we can reopen all the national park with the education, inspiration, and enjoyment of the american people. i would be glad to answer any

questions. >> thank you. >> thank you, chairman. i appreciate the opportunity activity today on behalf of our member answer et tourism industry. the national tour association membership include 700 tour operators who are package tours to, from, and within north america. they collectively move 10 million travelers annually and representative $6 billion in annual sales. 74% work domestically, 30% are bringing international visitors to the united states. they serve group and individuals, travelers of all ages, and various special interest groups and the majority of our members are small businesses. the balance of the 3,000 members are suppliers of the travel components like hotel, attraction, restaurant, transportation company. and destination marketers such as national, state, and local tourism organizations. tour operators and their customers plan their trips six to 18 months in advance. so in ab abrupt shut down of 401 park units can come without significant disruption and costs. since october 1, tour operate ands the suppliers partners have been scrambling and find alternative destination and

activities on a daily basis. nta has a long standing relationship with the national park service. they generally recognize the planning cycle needed in the package travel industry. be the shut down neither nta were advised ability what would be closed. it's been difficult to locate information on what is closed include roads through and around federal lands. in many cases our members and customers discovered closure upon arrival or had to send colleagues in advance to find out the situation. our association and members incorrectly speculated that some of the units would remain open particularly those that had no limited hours, no admission desks, no security check points and general speaking no specific point of entry. as a result, our tour operators have spent the last two weeks constantly dealing with a ton of challenging and finding alternative activities and logging. we surveyed the members one week to the shut down. 82% reported an impact.

85% reported rerouting and changing eye teen rare. initial estimate of the financial loss totaled $1 14 million in the first week. some our members are u the sup and reported an immediate decline in business. 91 fortunate reporting canceled or postpone tours. 56% in the first week. reseeing fewer visitor. in addition to the immediate loss it will have lasting effect on the domestic travel industry and international visitation. the u travel association estimates with relosing $15 2 million a day. nta helps facility the mou

between the u.s. cannot of commerce and the china national -- by the certifying them handle that business from china. the beginning of october was golden week. which in china is a major vacation week. nta tour operators reported not only disappointed customers but angry visitors unable to visit the national park during a once in a lifetime visit to the united states. many were not familiar with federal parks versus state park and had a greater challenge finding information about the plan tour. we recognize it's impossible predict whether or not there will be a government shut down. we recommend there be a better plan that would avoid this situation in the future. and enable the most significant park destination at the minimum remain open. and there be a communication plan that pushes out information

to the travel trade and to the public. with today's technology capability it should provide ample opportunity to better communicate what is better happening. thank you for allowing me to testify today. i look forward to your questions. >> thank you. >> chairman issa, thank you for inviting me to testify here today at the important hearing on the way the national park service is implement the federal shut down. i'm director of the center for energy and environment of the competitive enterprise institute. a group that has been already recognized here today. it's a non-profit, -- that specializes in regulations. a large part of our work is

devoted to environmental issues including management of the federal lands by the four federal land agencies. twenty years ago i spent four or five years as a washington representative of the american land right association, which was started in 1978 by chuck as a national park inholders association. so i have some firsthand experience of these issues. later i worked for a former member of the natural resources committee from arizona and dealt with a wide array of federal lands issue including all the national park problems in arizona. clearly a federal shut down is going cause many federal facilities to have close. including parks. it doesn't explain how racial and thought out for the program of the. that wasn't the issue. the issue is all of these petty

malicious act -- how can you close down a parking lot at mount vernon you lease to the mount vernon's lady association and have nothing do with your spend? you're spending extra money to close it down. does that comply with the antideficiency act to close down glen echo park along the parkway, which is funded and operated by montgomery county. to close the colonial farm has explained. to close -- the sports park in fair fox county which is leased to fair fox county and operated maintained by them. to take cones and barricades and close off turnoff on state highways so people can't top to take photographs and look at

mount rushmore. where does the personnel and the money from it come from? these are questions that i think need to be answered. now i think that the publicity for some of these small-minded and almost unbelievable -- unbelievably low action by the national park service are the public is starting to notice those. i think they are figuring out an important point. this is really what i want to concentrate on. americans love their national park. and the national park service spent decades hiding behind the affection that americans rightly have for the great natural wonder and historic site. the national park service for anybody who fold the history is a terrible steward of many of the apartments of the environmental conditions in the parks. they are also not visitor

friendly in many case napes are not people friendly, they are not good neighbors. they misstreet their inholders. and they act like they own everything and everybody else can just lump it. i hope that this starts a process. this public warend. this opening of to understanding the -- is not the same of the great national park. to investigate the problem for the national park service and initiate much-needed reforms. i was what -- my anger about what was going on is somewhat relieved by the weekend when the veterans went to the world war ii memorial and picked up the barricades and put them front of the white house. as president obama often says,

we're american, we can do that. thank you. >> thank you. mr. chairman, my name is dennis. today the represent the national and conservation association. i theld under president rage, clinton, and since 1976 ranging from one to 21 days. during my tenure, there were five. including the long shut down. 21 days of 1995/1996. i have been struck by the similarity between that

1995/1996 event and today's. let me say a little bit about preparing shut down plans. they by a force of circumstance hastefully prepared by people who hope they won't have to be used. for a highly decentralized agency like the national park service which literally stretches as cro the international dateline and today comprises 01 unit. it simply is not possible to cover them. because they have not been more than a few cays. the shortcomings don't surface. as slowtures lengthen, questions arise due to circumstance unforeseen or difficult to predict.

if it had i think we would have barricaded it. were state and local economies devastated? the counties around yosemite -- they were flash point. the governor threat tonight send the national guard to grand canyon. it is not true that grand canyon was open without conflict in 1995/1996. i negotiated many of the agreements that we reached? in 1995 and ?ik. one thing i'll say there were only two lawyers to work with in the interior building to negotiate the agreements. so that it's more than just the -- there aren't any park service

employees. there aren't any support employees around either. when it concluded it had been a very bad idea. so bad that 17 years has e lapped before it happened again. it is worth asking why parks moved to the center of the close close sure discussion. 150 1 one%. in in -- there were one eighth of one percent. we spend about -- 50% of what we spend in term of proportion on the national park. they are and easily assessable similar symbol. closure may be hard understand. a closed camp ground, a schield crying because she can't visit the statute of liberty become convenient and graphic metaphor of a much larger failure. our public land are in--

agencies such as the veteran administration. it is time to reopen the government and get back to doing the nation's business. the parks have been on the spotlight during the closure. we hope they remain there when they repope the sequester is already resulted in curtailment of service. the reductions are the equivalent of about 7,000 seasonal employees or 1750 permanent. this comes on top of the long range decline if park funding. some years ago i made a presentation. and the constitution it is founded in a preamble to secure the blessings of the liberty to ourselves and our austerity. open the government, open the

parks, let park rangers go back to doing the work they love. and let the rest of us enjoy, again, america's best idea. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thank you. tooment seem irresistible to ask first. whose land is it? the government or the american people? in your mind. i'm going waive my going first and recognize the gentleman from south carolina to ask the first round of questions. >> mr. chairman, that is perfect, please restart the clock. thank you. >> recognized. >> some may disagree with that. i want to thank the gentle from north carolina for giving me the microphone. in october of 2011, occupy protesters dissented upon

mcpherson square and decided to stay. despite the clear language of the law. they can't you did not make a single solitary arrest for camping. congress decided to have hearing and ask you why you were not enforcing the law. you told us that you will a great deal of discretion how and when to enforce the law. you told us you were after 100 days of not enforcing the plain language of the statute working with protesters to, quote, gain compliance. whatever the hell that means. with the law and what you call, quote, a measured and reasoned approach those were your word.

not mine. so the law said no camping. but the protesters camped anyway and you didn't do anything in term of arrest or citation for over 100 days. so i want you to fast forward two years. parks are closing, access to monuments are restricted. and access to those who helped build. you didn't wait 1900 dayses to enforce the law with veterans that wanted to see the monument. you didn't work to gain compliance. veterans weren't greeted with a measured response. they were greeted with barricade on the first day. further more, they could not exercise their first amendment right to walk to a monument they helped build, but yet some of our colleagues were allowed to exercise their first amendment right to protest whatever it was they were protesting on the

national mall. so i'm going read something to you, i want you tell me if you recognize. you are -- the function we must perform under a shut down are not the reason any of us join the national park service, but they are the duties we are required to perform by law and regulation. do you know who said that? >> i believe i said that. >> you're right. you did. >> can you tell me why you wouldn't enforce the law at mcpherson square. you greeted veterans with the barricade on the first cay. what regulation can you cite to me that requires you by law to erect barricades? >> the contingency plan approved was in compliance with the antideficiency act.

i db. >> i'm looking at the statute >> i am look for a criation to the code of federal regulation or the u.s. code for why you are erected barricades. we have -- you didn't issue a single citation for camping. >> i believe that's correct. >> either it is or it isn't. not single citation for camping. >> i do not remember. >> your previous testimonies was that you had not issued a single criation for camping despite of 100 days of noncompliance. >> that was two years ago. >> well, i can cite you the regulation you did not follow two years ago. can you cite me the regulation that requires you to erect barricades to prevent veterans from accessing a monument they built. >> i can cite the antideficiency act. >> can you cite a regular

translation required do you erect barricades? that's gnat a complex question. >> it requires i reduce all employees down only those that are necessary for life and property. that required the closure of all 401 national parks. >> why did you fail to enforce the plain language of a statute for 100 days for protesters. on the first day you deny access to -- included a part of the order that first amendment activity would be permitted on the national mall. >> do you consider it to walk to a monument you help build? is it only just smoking pot at

mcpherson square? >> the first amendment activities we are content neutral on first amendment and on the national mall. >> that wasn't my question. do you consider it to be an exercise of your first amendment right to a walk to a monument you helped build? >> if an individual declares they are there for the exercise first amendment -- >> who are they to declare it? >> the gentleman's time is expired. >> could sky a final question? who were they declaring too? >> on the national mall any group under 25 does not need a permit to exercise their first amendment. and we set up policy of -- first amendment. they were not denied access. >> mr. chairman, i want the record to reflect that no statute or code of the federal regulation was cited. >> i justify the erection. >> the roshed will indicate that. director jarvis, pursuant to his

question. it looked like she wanted an answer to what statute provided if -- >> it's antideficiency. in the case of the farm along with many similar situations, we had to actually investigate whether or not we were providing direct services that would be in violation of the antideficiency act. utility, trash pick up. any of the things not related to life and property. in the case of the farm we have vining funding to them to the tune of $100,000 a year. every year. we were not going give it no 2014 and she knows that. it's a concern for both of us. because of our decline in funding. i had to make a determination whether or not i was going to be in violation of the antideficiency act which i cannot violate. a law passed by the body and -- in are criminal penalties.

-- as we shut down immediately we began to work toward figuring out how to get a work around that would allow a whole variety of these partnership facilities open. we have opened over a dozen or more already because we've determined that there is no violation of the antideficiency act. >> okay. i appreciate that and the fact you discovered you were wrong on day one. i ask anonymous consent that the historic news article -- archive from the 1996 period be placed on the record in which it says in real time in 1995, december 16, 1995, tourists were free to wander the hall of the capitol, touch the wall of the vietnam memorial and climb the step of the lincoln memorial.

i ask that your document from the united states department of interior, which is your decoration national park service closure determination be placed in the record in which in line seven the determination does not apply to private owners of within the exterior boundary. and provide axe excess. without objection. so ordered. the gentleman from maryland. how many employees does the park service have? >> about 2,000. >> and you had to furlough how

many? >> 21328. >> percentage of that is the employees? >> about 87%. >> somewhere in that neighborhood. 85%. >> and so you -- those folks they were -- it was basically mandated they couldn't come to work. >> correct. what impact did it have on i have employees that clean the restrooms, clean up the messes behind the public. pick up trash, make sure the elevators are there to access the chamber of the jefferson or lincoln. they provide the eyes and ears for the u.s. park release which are not couth station to stand and watch over monument. they are there to respond.

my u park police respond to the in any event with the navy yard and the capitol police. they are a response agency. our rangers are there to prevent vandalism, and impact. all of the rangers have been furloughed. so the consequences are that there a lot of talk about open-air monument unmanned. they are not unoccupied. my responsibility is to ensure they are protected 24 hours a day and not just with somebody that might come at the late response. we have staff that are there and all of those so out of 300 that would normally be on the mall, i have 12. >> so; therefore, there are consequences as said to all of this; is that right? in other words when you have a group of people you have consequences. >> yes, sir.

>> you cannot cover everything you would like. >> i cannot protect them to the standard that this country expects me do so. >> now one of the things you said going wack to the hearing that mr. gowdy was talking about that impressed me quite a bit. you talk about how important it is to you personally you said it again today when people come visit our parks and monument you took do you still feel that way? >> yes, sir, if i may. in 2016, the national park service will be 100 years old. i have worked for the agency for 40 of the years. i have been a law enforcement ranger. i have been search and rescue,

firefighterrer, surpt about to, are dead candidated. it pains us to not be able to invite the american public in to their national parks. this is as painful for the employees that take great pride in providing these 401 places for the enjoyment of the american people. ?b said a little earlier. folks that treated badly at the park. i have to say even before i became a congressman. people didn't know me in the park. i have never had a bad experience with regard to employees. i want to say to the employees, that are watching us right now we thank you for your service. we thank you for dedicating your lives to making life better and

bringing life to life to so many people. other services have been suspended or severely cut back including veteran outreach programming for wounded warrior and student vet on campus among others. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i would like to insert to the record a written statement from the student veteran of america this statement say, and i quote, the current government shut down has created an overwhelming sense of uncertainty for students, veterans, with the

department of veteran affairs resource like the g.i. bill unavailable many veterans are wondering whether or not there will be able to pay next month's aren't or have the -- >> let me say this. in our committee, what we have now is a total between mr. gowdy and issa. a total of nine minute. i would like to -- >> in my committee we go the five minute route. >> thank you very much. i don't have much more. i appreciate your courtesy. i would like to insert in the record a reserve officers association of the united states of america. the impact on veterans is just one camp of a toll the shut dune is taking on americans as a result of a shut down 7 head start programs were forced to close leaving 7,000 preschool

children locked out of a classroom and the parent scrambling to find child care. as well as train derailment that resulted in the release of 20,000 gallons of. i can go on and on with specific

example such as these. let talk about the impact of the republicans governing tactic on the economy. the peterson foundation released a record -- to report fines arbitrary and short sited approach to governing by a crisis is hurting the economy to report concludes the policies with have been -- of a that though it's intaicialght on financial markets is undermine economic growth and filing the first prolong shut down of the federal government since the first term of the clinton administration and fail to raise a federal debt ceiling in timely manner the specter of a sovereign loophole with the financial and economic

fallout. the same thing that he did. you're responsible for running an agency charged with protecting the national park which contribute to the national economy and we thank you for your service. >> with that i yield back. i continue have to are remind

the subsequent l -- his time expired two and a half minute ago. i'll recognize myself.

i'm going try to adhere to the five minute. when you have a government shut down. you have some displacement. that happens. let's understand these are decisions devise a system that was supposed to be hard. the government of the people is hard. it you want efficiency, you go a dictatorship. if you want to have freedom of liberty. you our form of government. we're caught in the situation right now. we have to do our best to get through that. that was an observation made in her response about i don't know who is responsible that struck me and reminded me in the say that a government is big enough to give you something is big enough to take it away. it was frightening about what we're going through right now. we're have had 17 shut down since 1980, i believe is the figure. this is the first time that access has been denied to open air malls. if a government will go that much effort to make it difficult for the american people to see the treasure that ought to be a red flag for everybody. i think that is what the hearing is all about. what i would like to ask director jarvis and thank you for being here. we spoke briefly before happened. you said you had better weeks. i suppose we have all had better weeks. be i want to refer to the issue of the first amendment activities. because a first assessment a constitutional activity. we all know that. and your directive on number 1995. -- nine. you canceled -- national mall and put that on national mall i think the white house and philadelphia. and so forth. what got america's attention which was the world war i vets could not access a -- world war ii vets could not access their monument. because of the barricades well documented. were they not ak no knowledged? what happened to the honor flight. >> they were not a permitted -- >> they were not permitted.

>> no. okay. now you are changing -- you change course and said, okay, these honor flights can have first amendment rights in world war ii world war ii mall. i heard you say in testimony others learn a size of 25 -- if it's a group under 25. they can exercise the first amendment activity without 0 a permit. >> that's an interesting part. you have barricades for world war ii veteran. they are over 25. individuals, you know, somebody from my hometown came here. they would be denied access you said they're exempt. i see it an inconsistency in

here. >> if your friends came and walked up to the ranger and said, i'm exercising my first amendment activities and i have a group under 25. they could do that. >> i'm going have to pursue this. there's a body of law --

the chamber of the lincoln memorial is not available for first amendment activity. that's in statute. or in regulation. nor is the chamber of the jefferson. but the plaza is and the case of the world war ii memorial. it's taupe first amendment activity. so -- except in this case the barricades were put up because of well -- i don't know maybe we'll find out where they came from. the last question i'm over

time. and i try not do that. try to adhere to that in my committee. i guess the obvious question is all of this decision that was made regarding restricting activity was that your decision. this a photograph from the '1995 shut con. that's the lincoln memorial. the closure begin at the base of the step. people were not allowed to go to the lincoln memorial. i would say we have a lot more loose tools running around the country doing instructive things now than in 1995. we had someone attack the monument recently. to to say we shouldn't need any staff there to protect the memorials absurd. dpning public axe excess to parks. although our aca make sensational news story -- supported by president legal guidance from government lawyer under law we are sworn to enforce.

the park service rangers want to be working. they want to be regularly admitting people to memorial and park and then guarding those people and the memorial and the park against the strike of activity. but because of the republican government shut down they cannot do that. plain and simple. you can't create something and then pretended you are outraged by the result. which is what i'm hearing from the other side of the aisle. director, i have a question. they seem to lot of park today. 2010 your total budget was $2 billion. in 2013, $2,400,million. since 2008 have you caught up on the capital backlog? >> no , sir, our maintenance backlog exceeds 11 billion.

>> yes, sir particularly with the sequestration. we had to cut back significantly on the program and hours we currently have. permanent positions that run filled. >> 1,000 -- and the republicans are saying the sequestration which they created which has cut budget back to blow 2008 slefl politically motivated the things you're doing there. there's no politics involved here. our responsibility to --

and the losses are being caused there. they aren't doing anything by keeping the government closed. who want to work. i got -- in area where you can't get to the mountain in the winter time. that's because of the got shut down.

the deposit need to have them this to or it this. this is ab -- try figure out why the parks are closed because of a government shut down and what bizarre things have happened. >> mr. chairman, i would like to make an inquiry for a point of personal privilege. >> i think he's probably asking for a parliament inquirer i'll recognize him for that. >> when the gentleman says you pretended you care about the park, are you speaking about anybody on this? soily know whether to have the gentleman's words taken down or not? >> any member has the right to

ask another member's word to be taken down. but i think what this discussion is here, the gentleman was addressing it in the proper way we address these sort of thing in a third person. i didn't intervene. ingly heard the second person, mr. chairman. he obviously has strong feelings like member on both sides of the aisle have on it. >> i second a person instead of third. >> i didn't hear a second person. time of the gentleman has expired. >> thank you. i think it's important we conduct this oversight hearing and in a joint fashion. i think of all the happens -- we're on a verge of the a

permanent shut down of our government is would be worse when spend so much money and incur so much indebt nts we lose our financial credibility our national security as a result of that. this is a legitimate debate. there have been manner dozen shut down. i heard today under carter we actually went beyond the debt limit not that we want to follow that model. the problem here is it they appear what -- was oche toift american people and the congress the consent of common sense. that's what this is about. i think nothing has resonated with the public than to see an occupy-air monument such as the

world war ii memorial, and close by the martin luther king memorial. it seems that common sense did not prevail. you said you take full responsibility for that action; is that correct? >> that's correct. >> did you does with the secretary of interior at any time? >> yes, i did. >> and did she you didn't discuss it with anyone in the white house; did you? >>. >> in several times on the phone with the white house i presented with the secretary my decision but it was never the reverse. you always discussion it with her.

i quote one of them. it's october 3rd. it's a cheap way to deal with the situation and angry park service ranger in washington said that the harassment we've been told to make life as difficult as we can. t disgusting. it's the common belief of people who work for you he beliefs he was told to make it as difficult and painful as possible. how would you respond that? >> i have no idea where the information came from. >> it's a park ranger quoted. >> that's here say. what i'm telling you -- >> it may be hearsay, sir. >> i'm in communication with my employees. the ones still on work, and they do not believe that. it our job is to --

how it would not be protected if people walk there? >> they are protected if we don't -- we have evidence there are almost as many to protect the people and if i may correct the record. the u.s. park police have been accepted for furlough.

they are in new york, san francisco, and washington, d.c. they have 0 responsibility for the george washington memorial parkway, traffic, the commuting in here every day. i'm told in the district of columbia extraordinary measure are available. your job is to protect the monument. we talk to folk in the white house. who if you talk to in the white house? >> i don't know who was own the phone. i do not. did they relate to you that you should don't inflict pain? >> they did not. >> can you provide to the committee that information of who you folk and when on this matter? >> we're retaining all of our records as requested by the committee chairman. once we get out of the shut town we'll be providing those.

>> we'll subpoena them or get them one way or the other. >> time has expired. i appreciate the director saying he's going comply with the request we sent on october 2. >>. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i certainly want to welcome our witnesses and for the testimony they have provided i want to comment you for the distics and the outstanding job you have done. as districter of national park service with a track record of some 40 years of sf it our nation.

you have to operate on a budget of 1/15th of 1% of our national budget. >> that's correct. it's sad that i seem to have back political punching bag. it's unfortunate. a really a sense of the challenge and the problem you're faced with as a director. when you were given notice you need to shut down. you mentioned that the shut con curred on the first of october. >> that's correct. >> how do you go about shutting down an agency i believe 70,000 federal workers work for the department of interior out of

that some 68,000 have been furloughed. >> somewhere in the neighborhood, yes. i'm interested in your statement. you said you said you represent the conservation association with a membership of some 800,000 of our fellow americans. >> that's correct.

and in we do that by providing information to the public, by providing information to our visitors, by involving ourselves in issues at the park level, by -- my time is short. let me go on. i want to send you -- i would like to quote your statement you made here as an observation on hearing this morning. and i quoted, the national park service is not to blame for the failure of congress to keep our government open. and provide the resources needed to maintain our parks and keep them completely open. blaming national park employees for the abysmal result of a failure of sloip unconsciousble. can you share it with us more? >> well,, you know, i think this hearing is about how the shut town has worked out. was i said in my statement it's

not easy for a 401-unit system that extend beyond the international dateline. there isn't any question about why there was a shut down. there is no appropriation there is no continuing resolution. there is no money to pay the employees. how much an comake impact because the closure.

at the moment october, which is a peek period for many much our gateway community, the impact is enormous. and they're not going recover that. even if the federal employees are paid at the end of this. our concessioners, our gateway community. the hotels, restaurant will not recover this loss. so we have already begun to figure out how we can get some of these back open and as the mayor indicated we reopened the grand canyon. we reopened rocky mountain. eight parks in utah. all of these because frankly we shut it down on october 1 and immediately began to figure out how we can work to get it back open without violating the antideficiency act. i think that evidence shows i've

been working hard with the small staff. there are only nine of us left to get the parks back open you said you have about 3,000 exempt employees. i'm asewerring they are security personnel? >> there are -- i've got the numbers. >>. >> not all of them. most of them. they have roughly the same number of security personnel in the mall before the shut down? >> yes. >> okay. is there a specific threat to the property or life of anything taking place on thal is different now than before the shut down? >>. >> our intelligence indicate that there has been an uptick in activity and interest potential threat.

to the american people and particularly to some of my colleague on the other side of the aisle. i like to make what i think is an obvious point. it's it entirely the point of this hearing. yeah the government is in a partial shut down. there are implications that come from that. the question to consider is this: even the crisis should the federal government choose to make things better or should they choose to make things worse? should the administration e leaveuate some of the -- or seek to exaggerate those? should the federal government review as a friend to the people or as an enemy? >> surely you must realize some of the action many view not as an advocate but an adversary. we're in a political conflict right now. we'll move on. we all do. we find a way to move through it. i think the lasting impression --

you're not here voluntary ily. >> i come back -- when i have staff to prepare. >> are you here because the force of a subpoena. i? >> i am. it would seem not to be voluntarily then. if you view your action as defensible. why didn't you volunteer to sit before the committee and answer questions? >> i did but not on this date. i don't have any staff to prepare. normally i would have a staff. >> you said before these were your decisions. i wouldn't imagine you need staff to explain to you why you made the decisions you claim you have made. >> i don't staff to explain to me. i need staff to prepare testimony. the committee requires testimony be submittedded in advance. the staff are furloughed. >> would the gentleman suspend? >> a point of -- parliament

clarification. when we subpoena the director the staff knead clear and i believe the director is aware that essential personnel under the act would include such personnel as necessary to respond to congress as knows prepare if the hearing. i want to make that point that there was a dialogue in preparation to make the determination he could bring back on a daily basis such personnel as were necessary if he wanted to better prepared for today's hearing. >> t my understanding. the gentleman from utah is

recognized for the plan of the time. i would think you would be anxious you to come before the committee and defend those decisions. in a few second i have left. let me make the point. my state worked agreement to reopen the national park. to you support the decision to work in concert with state governor and others to open the parks? >> absolutely. >> would you support, you know, expecting that we may find ourselves in this situation again, neighbor in year. maybe in twenty years. at some point we may find sewers ourself in a government shut down again. would you support my effort to have agreement in place that would immediately open the park with the part of the state so we don't find ourselves in this situation again? >> we've talked about this. in that we very well set a new

bar here by entering to the agreement, very simple agreement, frankly. with colorado, new york, south dakota, utah. and so we have sort of started the new point that if we go to a shut down, we now have the template fairly easy to do this. i want to mention two things. we set a standard and worked it out with your governor and the other governors. one is the national park service would run the park. and state would pay for the national park service to operate them. this is a professional staff that have been doing this. we could open them instantly. it was not i would not support a state themselves taking over the national park. but entering to an agreement like this and pay for the entire park operation not just cherry picking component of parks. absolutely. i would support putting this in to poll so we can execute on it very quickly.

there thank you. >> time has expired. i would note there probably of the a template after the 1995, 1996 that should have been -- >> chair recognize the jenlt lady from the dpk -- d.c. district of columbia. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i could not identify more with our witnesses on the effect of the shut down on the local economy. i think every red-blooded american would similarly identify with the outrage of the residence of your host city. the nation' cap capital. in addition has seen the shut down not only of tourist economy, as you have, but congress holding $6 billion.

>> i thank you, mr. chairman. and the republicans and democrats who voted with us to free the district local fund. we are finally making headway with the senate and the administration. mr. jarvis, sitting here in the district of columbia, the third generation -- there to hear the employees of the park service. yeah. we have trouble with the civil servant. i want to say for the record, that how unfair i think it is for the republicans to shut down the government then blame the national park service. i thank you for the way you protect the mount and the people who visit our monuments. some of us are still recalling

when green paint of splattered on the lincoln memorial. even though there was no shut down because the difficulty of guarding the memorial. in 2007, irmt there was a horrific incident, vandalism, as well on the vietnam memorial. is it true there are 2,000 vandalism every day on the memorial of our country throughout the united states? >> that's correct. >> is can't bear the way in which veterans have been made post to children about my republican friend looking -- making them look as if they are victims. my own paper, "the washington post, carries an article this morning all of them.

of course they came to complaint about the cutoff of their own benefits. but let me read you about what they said. they go back for everybody who is victimized. here is another of the speakers.

blank for the shut down was asked by organizers to stand outside of the memorial grounds. that is how veterans respond when everybody is at risk. they go back as the army veteran who received the medal of honor yesterday to went back to get his -- i want to ask perhaps -- perhaps the representative from the tourism industry to explain something that alarmed me.

apparently it will have lasting effect on the international visitation. the international visit start here. then they hear about how the wonderful sites especially in the far west, and they don't want to go home without seeing them. now my republican friends, you know, it will blow over like a default will blow over. could you tell me what you mean by -- >> would the gentlelady ask the question so we can get a response very quickly? >> what will you tell me about lasting -- effects and what we might do to keep the effect from becoming more lasting? >> very quickly. >> yes, sir. >> we anticipate the -- let me start by saying the national -- promote to international visitation through brand u.s.a. which is our federal marketing arm for tourism, and so we know that the international visitors are coming here to see the

parks. they come to the gateway and see the park on the first visit. we anticipate there will be lasting in effect term of international visitation. particularly in the fall as they look forward next year's trip coming in october and november. >> the time has expired. trying to find way to open the park back up. he asked the park service to let the county operate the park and said they can do so just as capably. they weren't allowed to do. the state has come up with more money than necessary to open the

park back up until sunday. there's a private community in the tobacco -- smokeys two dozen school children are picked up each day to go to school on the school bus. they were picked up when the government -- the morning the government shut down, then the park service closed the roads so the school children could not get back home on their school bus after school. which i thought was a very sad and needless thing to do have done. ..

>> kent not because it was necessary. using the park service for political purposes also as i have said it is greatly overstaffed. was we do have a statement echoed from the secretary of interior that says it has a long history dramatizing budget issues by inconveniencing the public in the often choose the most dramatic type of action to

get the point across. id there has been some of mentioning your earlier that the republicans should -- said it shut down the government but they voted for different times the fourth time one shutdown but senator reid would not allow that to be taken that did this said that. this time i yield to the remainder of my time. >> director you called somebody earlier i'd hear say i would give you something. i was out there at the world war ii memorial on tuesday morning because the representative from mississippi e-mail he had a bunch of a world war ii

veterans and their work barricades that were put up and share a bath on the north and south entrance and the entrance facing their brodeur had barricades across up a and yellow tape will fade in and out. they did not intend for anyone to cross that line first amendment or not. whoever was supposed to get that message out about the protest did not. we kids up and down the barricades in and talk to the of the police horse. on wednesday i asked a park ranger how many are here ought not todd shut down? she said for. it is not the evidence of the statement of what was asserted but the statement was made. you could say maybe it wasn't but whoever the park rangers said they ever out

there every day seems to the kit was for. thursday and friday i counted nine people out there to protect the world were to memorial from our world war ii veterans. i can tell you if steve and i had not picked up the barricades and separated them after establishing with the park service to we were they would not be opened and those veterans were not being allowed in. first amendment or otherwise. that is not here say. i was there and i watched with my own eyes and i heard it with my own ears. i yield back. >> mr. davis is recognized. >> house republicans have

forced the government shut down and the testimony provided by some of the has estimated of total economic losses of $76 million per day to local communities surrounding the national parks. that is correct. >> that is correct. >> now in your testimony with this small businesses there estimated loss of more than $1 million of revenue just during staffers seven

days. is that correct? >> yes, sir,. >> in fact, it was found arizona would have the third largest economic impact of national park closures totaling almost $5 million per day. the current president pented op-ed titled "federal shutdown has an impact on local governments which describes the practical impasse of the shutdown of around the country. i quote again the antics of washington are threatening to unravel the of progress our citizens have made over the last few months and causing to the entire nation. she went on to say and i

quote again every day that the permit is shut down is another day of economic uncertainty. we need to focus on what matters of our neighborhoods and residents. director jarvis, i heard people indicate somehow or another you did not provide the sensitivity that was necessary as you make decisions. are you concerned about the impact of shut down on businesses sent committees around the national parks? >> guess there. idea very concerned. immediately upon the closure we opened lines of communication with the private sector businesses that operate food beverage your lodging. with the hospitality

association i even had a conference call with the ceo and the leaders of those organizations to convey our concern to talk about what we could do with them in to in-between and as a result we begin on wednesday of the first week i contacted the people with the agreement of the grand canyon in the three track down the for mayor richard days that negotiating that as well to build the new rules and regulations. so we could reduce the impact to the tourism industry which we rely upon. >> and you're 40 years of service to the park service. i have no further questions.

>> the gentleman yields back his time. >> mr. chairman, i director i am curious of the philosophy you have as a director of the park service. do believe our rights come from our creator or from our government and constitution? >> all of the above him as. >> it is the constitution that prohibits activities by the government but does not give them rights. the declaration of independence established what our founders believed where our rights come from but what has happened to you is pretty of courageous you have heard the insults and throw doubt about the shutdown. were you notified before

october 1st on that tuesday you might to be closed even though you had been operating totally independent in you save the farm because of your efforts as director? when reunified you were shut down? >> i had a phone call on monday late in the morning i returned it early afternoon i was out of town. >> what retold in that conversation. >> the farm is part of the shutdown and i said we have never been part of a shutdown but they said it would be illegal for you to open the farm and if you do then you risk the wrath and over the you one private employee will be allowed inside to feed the animals. >> how many national park

service employees are at your farm each day? >> $0.9 in 1981. >> wait a minute we heard about the law if they shut down you have to refer to to minimum manpower of less there is a specific threat. are you aware of any threats that were emanating from the farm on september 30th or october 1st? >> no. we are pretty low key in the neighbors are the cia so they take care of threats. >> you are not worried the cia is a threat? >> they are friends. >> i read at the chamber of commerce paid a bunch of money to use the farm on october 1st in the evening for a gathering. were there any indications the chamber of commerce was a threat to your farm?

>> no. >> have they ever been a threat to your farm? they can be pretty rowdy. >> they can but they are okay we get along. >> what happened on tuesday? >> employees came in as normal we decided we would not leave it unprotected so i have asked for the deceased and one dash decision in writing so the superintendent e-mail to be a statement about 3:30 p.m. monday and we appealed that thinking we could get it changed that this was a boubou. then add about 10:00 on tuesday absolutely not then park police showed up and made death chamber members

leaf -- lee. >> when he returned the call to the superintendent did they say the park might be closed or be on alert? >> they said if the government shuts down there we are a part of it and they had this plan in place since thursday but that is the first notice we had received >> did you happen to notice how many parks service police came out to run off the chamber of commerce? >> i was not there. >> do you know, where the barricades' came from? >> they brought them. the maintenance crews the park maintenance crew. >> have you ever had park maintenance crews out there since he became an

independent operated farm? >> yes. early on they were very helpful. >> when? >> 1981. >> in the last 30 years have there any ben made its people out to the farm? >> to perform maintenance. >> i think a broken water lines but that was about nine years ago. >> my time is expired but i would note to the chairman that the law was violated by the park service by sending police and maintenance personnel out to the parks. >> this is recorded as part of the record. the gentlelady is recognized >> i also would like to commend mr. jarvis for your many years at the park

service and all of the witnesses here. the shutdown was the final hit to the national parks after years of cuts in your budget and you mentioned this earlier in your testimony and operations and construction accounts. with the cuts of funding how have that impacted your organization? >> did a number of ways. in terms of our facilities we are in steady decline. most of the facilities of classic national parks were built steve 50 or 75 years ago with waste water systems, roads, in the like we have the $11 million backlog that is declining we receive less than half of what we need just to maintain. the other side is the

rangers' staff that provide interpretation also protection is in decline. so we're not capable of providing the cerebus that the public expects and deserves. >> as the service gears up for the 100 years what is the continued cuts mean for the future? i am sure it must be very impact will. >> a couple of things we're working on is to develop as many partnerships we can and with the state or profit organizations for tourism associations to assist us to provide these places we cannot do what of. increasing volunteer work force an increasing philanthropy and leveraging the dollars we have appropriated a and not appropriated looking for as many opportunities as

possible and a hearing in the senate with a variety of ways to find additional funding beating up to the centennial. also the national tourist associations stand a prayer and usa on a major bargaining campaign for 2016 and we feel the national parks are in digital parts of this economy as well as the centennial is a huge opportunity to remind all americans of the national parks to draw tourists come from around the world. >> is commendable you are thinking ahead and looking into all these possibilities to continue on. what is the impact with your employees? with the overall morale with those that are on duty? >> 54 this question because

it is extremely painful to those setter on furlough they want to greet the american public can go back to work along with the rest of the federal government. the employees on duty, this is extremely difficult. , u.s. park police are accustomed to welcoming i think we are the only federal agents with the mandate as a part of the mission to provide these places so the public can enjoy them and to right now we turn them away that is very difficult but i have instructed them to take a very low-key approach to the enforcement at the park level to not confined to but

stand back and informed the american public these places are closed and as a consequence there have been very few citations mostly respectful reminder when they come obviously but their disappointment, extraordinar ily difficult and painful to deliver that message and we hope this will end very soon >> i do suppose the ones that are not furloughed feel guilty with other colleagues that had to be that they are still on and the others have been furloughed. i can imagine there must be a morale problem as well. think you for your service and i yield back my time. >> the gentlelady yields back we now go to the gentleman from colorado but i will ask unanimous consent so it is on the record for later discussion and a copy

given to the director, this is the termination agreement of the national park service from the state of arizona back kennedy's but its details what the chairman said was a template. instead of $96,000 per day it is 17,000 so after you get a copy i hope you can explain the inflation rate over this period of time to. >> mr. jarvis this is painful because i do love your support and appreciate that national park system to see where you have done really pains me to have this conversation. i have been to over 200 units of the national park service. many of those as my wife and children yet when i of was

that the world were to memorial, the second day of the slowdown and i helped to move the of barricades' because those veterans should not have been denied that their access. it was so reprehensible. i talked to one gentleman there who was it a wheelchair. 97 years old. he fought in the pacific theater involved were too in guadalcanal among the other places. but yet he was not allowed had those stood he was not allowed to touch or see the plaques where the fall led are memorialized. my own father could never make it out there. he turned to 93 years old but never a good enough health to go out there so it is wrong what you did. this decision was not a good not to the american people

is not good for the park system either. i appreciate the system but yet i thank you besmirched its reputation and use our its relationship with congress and you are a liability to the national park service i do have a couple of questions whose decision was it to try to shut down now for new? that is privately owned and operated. there is parking off to the side you have responsibility for. was that your decision to shut down now virgin? >> you are incorrect we did not try to shut down now averted we barricaded one parking lot that was done in execution of the closure order for all 401 national parks that is part of the george washington memorial parkway but did not block

the use of mount vernon. >> of people cannot park there. >> there are many parking lots this was just one of them. >> was that your decision? >> i was not involved with that decision directly. >> would like to ask about reimbursement to the states my own states is one of those that talks with the national park service about paying for continuing the service until the slowdown is over. will states like colorado be fully reimbursed for the expenses they are occurring right now? >> not unless congress authorizes. >> the document that chairman i said just introduced into the record shows from 1995 for 96 that

the pattern in the past that the states would be reimbursed. if they pay for things like celanese of park rangers, maintenance, law enforcement and then they don't have to be reimbursed later bayou because i assume they don't get twice the salary so when you get reimbursed it is a windfall to you if you don't reimburse the states? >> the way it actually works, the state's are depositing a set amount that we negotiate with the governors into the treasury. as soon as we open the parks we will charge against that account if they shut down pins before we expend all of that many would never is

remaining absolutely will be returned to the states but the money that is charged against i have no authority but to take the federal dollars when it ends to give it to this day and thus directly authorized by congress which i would support but i don't have that authority of right to. >> at this point in time you're not pledging to reimburse the states? >> know we made it very clear with the agreement that this is no guarantee they get the money packages only congress that could authorize that. >> i thank you should have to be responsible. >> i might note for the record in every case in shutdown of federal employees have been paid so there is a high expectation if not a contract now going to the edge of a man from

virginia. >> ms. eberly i have been to the farm near the time state you for running such a beautiful spot. by the way the land that the farm is located is that federally owned or private? >> it is federally owned. >> so could it be back director jervis trying to figure out what is covered looks at a place added as fed it federally owned you manage it but it's a subsidy of $100,000 per year down at 92,000 of sequestration in zero next year because of budget cuts. that he might have included that's with the of larger number of the things he

might have to decide. could that be an explanation? >> i was told by the superintendent it was entirely his decision the parkway superintendent he decided to leave open the memorial bridge and the george washington memorial parkway. >> from your point of view you obviously did not like the decision but it also explaining the rationale was not consistent? >> we never got an explanation. >> director jarvis i'd like you to address that you said 401 national parks? with the farm or that amount for new part cannot be included because they are a hybrid or are they over and

above? >> they are a component there are literally hundreds and hundreds of similar such operations as to the farm with in that. >> you were advised presumably by your attorneys when you go to organize for the shutdown if you have to make thousands of these decisions in a very collapsed timeframe if you are concerned that the law or the shutdown with the anti-deficiency act? >> remind us what that is and what it does? >> it is a statute that prohibits doing work for which there is no federal appropriation except for limitations on protection of life and property.

in the case of the farm since 2001 it has received 1.$3 million of federal appropriations from the national park service. recently spent several hundred thousand repairing the sewer system with ongoing food safety inspections and trash removal and road maintenance so we had to evaluate dozens of these if we were in violation of the entire deficiency act by allowing these to continue to operate so let me just say protective closure date october 1 said we began to evaluate each of the operations individually to make sure we're not violating in those we felt we could honestly legally be open we have done that. >> i have limited time but i would like to say i just

heard my colleague from colorado make some rather strong statements about you and your service and i completely disavowed those comments. i thank you have spent the exemplary public servant and you did the best you could under trying circumstances and of put up with criticism because someone to deflect attention from their own actions of the shut down but to trash somebody's good reputation as a labor of love as well as shared national commitment to make it the best they can be there are many of us here in and drop the country who value your service and deeply regret any suggestions that somehow for the consequences. >> i have seven seconds. >> i would just like 2.0 but

the entire deficiency act goes back through the 1860's and not the employs of the 1995 but for whatever reason >> you can have your six seconds. >> is that true? >> it is not it was only 95 and 96 the same way it does now. >> i now recognize myself. director jarvis day remember april of this year coming before the oversight committee? >> yes, sir. >> between april 16 and october 1st you were not shut down but have the ability to operate fully? so for those months after you promised to deliver the discovery with the 400 pages previously identified before that hearing and it did not do so you did so out of content for your promise to

this committee? or was that just an oversight board you just not know you promise to deliver documents related to discovery and you don't do it? >> nosair those decisions are made by the department of interior. >> i will take that decision away from you i will be issuing a subpoena to you and i would expect as soon as the government opens you will comply. additionally, the clerks will go through the record to find each and every document and request made during this hearing and again issue a subpoena since it is very clear there promises you made have no value because someone at the department of interior does not deliver documents that were related to our accusation under prior abuse under sequestration so i find your service questionable. i started at the hearing with a question is a

european or the government land or do you oversee the people's land and please think before you answer. >> is the people's land. >> in doubt you have the obligation to mitigate to the greatest extent possible the adverse affects on people? >> i operate. >> no no-no. >> i. >> you have the obligation to deliver with the best of your ability with the limited ability of done. >> been in the case of ms. eberly isn't it true that every day her organization saves the american people money that would otherwise be spent to operate the parker it would be gone? you talk about the $1 million you delivered delivered, she delivered four times that in value through volunteers, a fund-raising, is that true? >> absolutely. we love our partners.

>> you have a public-private partner you shut her down in cost her more than spending you spend money to barricade so she could not operate without prior notice. important question what was the first day of your job? you talk about 2016 what you anticipate what is the first day began asking the question over the last year of 2013 what do i do in case of a shutdown? >> we were facing a potential shutdown in 2011. >> your testimony is that you have no there is a potential for a shutdown in you were with the park service and aware of the agreement made with arizona in 1996. also aware ms. eberly was not shut down ben and contrary to what was shown of an earlier picture the

lincoln memorial was not closed as the pitcher falsely shows. this is a repair period of time in maybe the actual pitcher but it shows that people walked up this barricade was not keeping people from going all the way up. you will notice the construction this picture is also from that period and it shows people being seen with the sign building there. the fact is you had a history and a tradition why did you not take the effort in context to not negate why did you not talk to the mayor's people representatives or to see what they could do? weber those contracts not dusted off in preparation? why didn't you do anything to mitigate this whenever

possible and why did you cause ms. eberly to sit there and lose money and while the dough that road minutes is deferred whether she is open or close. isn't that true? >> i immediately upon the closure began to look at the documents from the grand canyon. >> that is a great answer my time is experiencing -- expiring. >> you waited after you asserted pain on people through a lack of planning so that three weeks after you made your point you made your point you could punish the american people to shut down and take away their assets then because of paul -- public opinion began to open back up for the record is a ditcher everything you have done to reopen the could have been anticipated and done in advance? if you could reopen the

parking lot bin you had the authority never to close at. isn't that true? >> dell god did not change with all due respect the national park service is a very big and complex organization i did not know about the farm or it dozens of felt there's i rely on my field representatives in my superintendents -- we shouted down in compliance with the last of the appropriations then immediately begin assessing which ones we could reopen and we did that i have another dozen we have reopened the. >> the grand canyon is overlooked. we know that terrorists will go in to blow up the grand canyon so the fact that you overlooked that is not credible. we now go to the gentlelady from massachusetts.

>> thank you director jarvis for being here. i do have two national parks one commemorates the american revolution the other commemorates the industrial revolution. these communities take such pride in all the great work you'd do the high standards and we are proud of those standards and hate to see anything undermines them as a sequester is doing to shut down the government but i want to address the veterans access to the of world war ii memorial. my father was a survivor of pearl harbor and served across the south pacific and is no lagers living but i cannot imagine he would not be so disobeyed by the circus that has been created

around the access issued about the memorial. i was in the airport when a group coming from arkansas. these older older men who are so proud of their service and it was touching to hear them but political reports despite my colleagues attempt to turn it into the government shut down poster child veterans streaming into washington don't face any obstacles of their visit in mini complain they are used for political gain. believes it organizer for the honor flight network said'' we have had no problems at all. he said the park service has been'' very cooperative and very polite to allow better in groups to visit under the

auspices that they're conducting first amendment activities. said veterans have been able to visit the of world war ii memorial, haven't they? >> yes ma'am. >> also going back to the issue are we really surprised the government shutdown could have been impact on the gateway communities of the tourism industry? that you could have foreseen? >> i don't think that was a surprise everyone anticipated of what to expect on the first day of the shutdown. >> and it could have been avoided to have democratic support for the senate bill on a bipartisan basis and

then would have avoided this all together. the national parks are very visible to the american people it is happening at a moment in time when visitation had been high but we cannot overlook all the other institutions that were impacted. last week i had a heart wrenching conversation with vendors at a military installation who is furloughed because of the public in shutdown so she is terrified she cannot recover lost pay putting her family of financial risk'' we are the ones suffering she told me. '' we're hard-working americans working paycheck to paycheck something like this can destroy us. " end quote.

remember the cerebus members returning from combat duty who could lose college tuition assistance they have been promised. clinical trials for cancer patients have been delayed in veterans are told they have to wait even longer to have that benefit claims reviewed and it is so unfortunate better national parks the most treasured sites are closed to the public but that is what happens when the federal government shuts down. we need to end this today. i yield back the balance of my time. >>. >> the gentleman from michigan. >> i certainly agree with my colleagues that we live in a parallel universe. of fact and fiction five

years of government by crisis taking place. with the democrats controlled the white house and the senate and house of budget was not passed any of those years but continuing resolution leads to a crisis now we have a crisis where the democrats shut down of the government has taken place. they call it something else they are effective with the use of their ponds in the media. to make paid on the american public. the i am looking of the private sector economy. ms. eberly covet tourist associations, this was knowingly done i am concerned about the pain

that would be even worse for the mayor or other private concessionaries. to have a part-time economy then in it is not a shutdown that stops people from when i was just a kid over 40 years ago my intentions was to be in the service that you are in it since that time i visit parks all over the country and i still do with my grand kids. in the future they will not have that opportunity because that economy our people cannot afford to go to the grand canyon that i saw as a boy and as a

teenager and as a college student and as a father. i'm sick of hearing of the shutdown anything other than the democratic shut down. we have offered bills to fund the entire government rejected by the senate and 15 bills to open necessary components and one of those was the box -- the park service and the veterans administration. they've all rejected in the senate supported in the house. where is the problem? let me ask a question, ms. eberly i heard you interviewed on tv after the first week i appreciate your response. what has this cost