the speaker pro tempore: the . use will come to order

the speaker pro tempore: the he house will come to order. members are asked to remove their conversations from the floor. the speaker pro tempore: the house will come to order. members are asked to remove their conversations from the floor.

the chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentlelady from north carolina seek recognition? ms. foxx: request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the house is not in order. the house will come to order. members are asked to remove their conversations from the floor. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlelady from north carolina is recognized for one minute. ms. foxx: thank you, mr. speaker. this is the first for me. this is the first for a lot of us.

because of a partisan refusal, even to talk with house republicans about a plan to keep our government open and ensure fair treatment for all americans under obamacare, the federal government is shut down. yes, the consequences of presidential partisanship are real a and are being felt throughout the country in furloughed offices and faulty health care exchanges sm the house has offered four bipartisan proposals to fund the government services fully and put obamacare uncertainty on hold. each effort was rebuffed. each step we took to the middle was rejected and the simplest request to work through our policy differences. call us name, refuse to negotiate with us, fine. is his moment, leadership here.

it will take bipartisanship to reopen government and we will continue to lead as the only body who has provided bipartisan solutions for the country. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition . >> permission to address the house. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. sherman: this government, the government of the greatest nation on earth, will reopen only when the public decides when one party is being uncompromising and unreasonable. the continuing resolution that the senate sent us sets the spending level and it sets the level right there at the publican ryan budget level $250 billion below the president's request, $72 billion

below the senate democratic budget. when it comes to spending levels, we have compromised. it is unreasonable to shut down the government to achieve the legislative objective. today we are told they will keep the government open for 45 or 60 ays if only we allow them to dismantle obamacare. in december, they'll see we'll stripmine yellowstone. what if democrats said we are going to shut down government until we got immigration reform or gun control? we are as dedicated to those issues as they are to their quest to rebeal obamacare. we will not shut down the government or destroy the economy and not take hostages or hurt this country to get our own way. i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from wyoming seek recognition? mrs. lummis: permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mrs. lummis: thank you, mr. speaker, my state of wyoming is rojected to have the highest average premiums than any state in the nation that is subject to the federal exchange. by far the highest rate of any state in the nation. is it any wonder that because my state has the smallest population in the nation, that i would fight for not one size fits all, top-down big-government solutions, but state-based solutions. health care that is negotiated between the patient and the

doctor. yet, obamacare is taking place today. it has taken effect. and it is the law of the land, and i will abide by it. but congress should not have an illegal subsidy under obamacare. house republicans want to get rid of the illegal subsidy for congress under obamacare. that's what we demand. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from ohio seek recognition? >> permission to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the gentlelady is recognized. ms. kaptur: g.o.p. irresponsibility that led to the government shutdown is having an impact across our country. i spent part of my day down at the world war ii memorial here in washington and as the author of the bill that created the memorial and we worked for 16 years from point of introduction o point of dedication in 2004,

i witnessed an irony that senators and representatives who voted for the shutdown showed up today to remove the fence that was placed around the site because honor flights were coming in here. around our country, veterans are still coming with those who sponsored them and i thought how ironic to see this that they would have the ga lmplmp to show up at a site they voted to shutter last night, knowing that honor flights are coming in from ohio next week, i wondered where we would be. since the first time when the memorial was dedicated in 2004, you know what? it was absent the american people. last sunday, we saw how crowded it was as the largest honor flight came in from the east coast. i say to my colleagues on the republican side of the aisle,

did you really want to do this? don't the american people deserve better than that, a vacant site, a fenced site? it's time for our colleagues to wake up and not think about their party or themselves but think about the american people. i yield back my remaining time. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2013, the gentleman from california, mr. garamendi, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. mr. garamendi: one would think about the hours of discussion that has taken place on this floor that enough has been said, and that may be true. but so much of what was said

seems not to be clarifying and providing clear understanding of what's actually happened here. we want to take a few minutes, maybe as much as an hour, possibly less than that, and gain some clarity as to how we got to this point with the government shutdown and how we can get out of it and what the impact is on americans. there are good days and there are bad days and then there are really, really bad days. about 12:30 last night as we were finishing the votes on the floor, it became very apparent that government had, indeed, w w wpepepepe of resurrecting it in the final hours of last night. so today all across america, government offices are shut down. you just heard a description of the world war ii memorial and

that's just an example. how did we get here? how did this happen? we have been over the last three years now dealing with one manufactured crisis after another. they became to be known as fiscal cliff, debt limit cliff, on and on. each time we would come up to some deadline and it was made into a crisis. our republican friends were usually -- well, they were the instigateors since the 2010 election. they have used these deadlines, which come and go every year, as an opportunity to leverage in one or another policy change. and that's been going on. i think one of the most noteworthy of these deadlines was the fiscal cliff that occurred in the summer of 2011, in which the united states came

up against its debt limit and it was just a moment away from that default. fortunately, there were negotiations under way. and it did lead to a settlement. the settle meant was the in famous sequester. nobody liked it and it was in the bill and now we are living with it. as time went on, we have had ven more of these moments of crises and yesterday was yet one more. occurs on a regular basis, every october 1st, we start a new fiscal year and that's the opportunity for us to look at the expenditures of the federal government and make decisions about what should be and should not be funded. so we had a crisis last night and the result is, the federal

government is largely unfunded. and monuments across the nation, national parks, veterans administration offices, social security offices and the rest are in the process of being shut down and are shut down. this is not a good thing. it's a very bad thing. it's bad for this nation. i was there in 1995 as deputy secretary of the department of interior when the department of interior was shut did you know, national parks, u.s. geological survey, studies under way about the nature from earthquakes to hurricanes and were put aside for 26 days. e are we're back in that today. it should have been avoided, should have been avoided. had we followed through with the normal process of establishing a budget for the united states it most likely

would have been avoided. why didn't that happen? the house of representatives passed a budget in march. the senate passed a budget about the same time they have senate requested a conference committee and to this moment, from april to this moment, no conference committee on the budget has been established. now the budget gives the framework in which the appropriations for all the federal offices, department of defense, parks and so forth, are funded within that framework of the budget. so without a framework, we were literally wandering in the dark and some very, very bad things happened. what happened was we came up against a deadline and the continuing resolution which continues to fund the government, the first issue was for two months, until december 15 and then it eventually came down to november 15. that continuing resolution, sometimes called a c.r.,

actually provided less money than the senate version of the budget. it was $986 billion, which is the sequestration amount that would continue forward. so while virtually every person in this entire house, 435 of us, said sequestration was bad and we'll never vote for sequestration again, we were in fact presented with a sequestration appropriation. continuing resolution that would go for two months. the sequestration was in fact built into that. the democrats, looking at this, said, we don't want a shut down. we will accept, we will compromise, for two months and accept the lower funding level. so when people go back and forth and say there was no effort to compromise, that's not true. the fact of the matter is, the democrats said, avoid the shutdown of government, we will

accept the sequestration level of government, which was some, i think over $50 billion less than what we would like to have spent to keep the programs going. along the way, our republican colleagues decided they would use this moment to terminate the affordable health care act. going to spend some time on that this evening. the termination of the affordable health care act would affect every american. in many, many ways. we'll spend some time talking about all of those ways. so by combining these two, the c.r. which the democrats accepted, and had it passed the house, and the senate, there would be no government shutdown. but by joining to that, the desire, particularly of the tea party republican caucus members , we wound up with a stalemate. we need to understand exactly

what was in the c.r. and exactly what was the impact of he -- what shall we say? there's three different versions of this. one was to repeal. in other words, just wipe out the entire law. the affordable care act, obamacare. another was to delay all of it. yet a third was to delay just a piece of it. there's been different iterations. but each would dramatically affect the people of america. i would like to turn to my colleague from texas, sheila jackson lee, who will pick up this issue. the speaker pro tempore: the chair would clarify that the gentleman was recognized for half the time remaining before 10:00 p.m., for 54 minutes. the gentleman may proceed. mr. garamendi: talk fast, sheila. ms. jackson lee: let me thank the distinguished gentleman from california for his leadership. if i might inquire of the chair again if the speaker, you said

the time was how much time? i'm sorry. the speaker pro tempore: 54 total minutes. rather than 60 minutes. 54 total minutes. ms. jackson lee: thank you so much. i wanted to make sure it wasn't five minutes. let me thank the gentleman from california. i want to thank him overall for a litany of causes and legislative efforts i've joined him on, make it in america and a number of others and i'm so glad he's come to the floor today to be able to recount for the american people just what we've gone through. i want to start where he started because i've heard a number of my colleagues who are here on the floor, congressman honda, congresswoman kaptur, speak eloquently about their work on the appropriations committee. and the wall that they had, the mountain they had to climb with a compromise that many democrats voted for and the

president signed and that was the sequestration, which was created to avoid a shutdown some years ago and the numbers were so odious that it was thought that we would bring the republicans to the table in a consensus group, but i hope the american people would recognize, they would be surprise -- surprised to find out that those odious numbers were not enough. it didn't bring them to the table, what it did is cause them to hunker down, to want more cuts, more damage to the american people, where we find ourselves today without the budget cuts, excuse me, the shutdown we're in t.d. now, that the sequestration which is what democrats were trying to work toward to avoid this deepening impact, the sequestration itself without the government shutdown was going to lose a million jobs. but we could not seemingly bridge that gap of understanding with house republicans and particularly

the right wing components who over the weekend, by the way, one minnesota member of congress, former presidential candidate, indicated that she was smiling, they got just what they wanted. so i'm glad to be able to just, for a moment if the gentleman would continue to yield, let me say these points. so that was a moment of compromise, that was a moment of holding one's nose because we were doing it for the good of the whole. it was the good of the greater good. the good of the whole. but we come now to another moment of crisis where the answer, someone asked me, what was the plan. the answer is right before us. that is a clean c.r. let me explain. it is not a clean c.r. to take us into 2014 and 2015. my friends, it is only to november 15. so we can have cooler heads and we can reconcile with the senate majority leader reid who

offered this compromise this peace offering, the president, sit down, even before thanksgiving and get a budget for all of the running of the government and an appropriations process to allow that to happen. let me quickly go to the three bills we have and just say these things. national parks, i want to say directly to the bel air teacher, and her name is ann kennedy lindsay, we're going to work as mard as -- as hard as we can to get those parks open. i'll tell you the answer. the answer is, for the republican house to vote on a clean c.r. and you'll be able to go to the park with the bel air students. i'll be calling you tonight, ms. kennedy lindsay, to let you know how hard we're working and your youngsters will be able to head to yellowstone on october 4. i want to talk to patrick smith a disabled veteran who called

my office thank you for your service. the reason i voted against this piecemeal veterans program, patrick, is because the numberers were so insulting to your willingness to leave the ultimate on the battlefield. it was $6 billion less. it wasn't going to help reduce the claims or get your benefits. those benefits are going to be running now for a couple of weeks but i tell you, patrick, on the floor of the house, i promise you we will not have this ridiculous treatment of our veterans but we're going to do something that's meaningful, not what was done on the floor of the house today. finally, let me say to my colleague, congresswoman eleanor holmes norton, again using the plight of the people of the district of columbia, that you are deserving of the respect of using your own $8 billion and the republicans know full well that all they have to do is vote for a clean c.r. this ble to ensure that

independent area, the capital of the united states, whose member does not have a vote is able to do this. congressman, today was october 1, again, i want to wish my brother, michael jackson a birthday wish, and i hope you had a great day but you had a historic day, october 1, is get covered. and that means that all the noise about obamacare, about a bill, it is a law. and i want to announce on the floor today that we're told that millions of people have otten on this website, healthcare.gov. two million or so in new york, california, all throughout the nation. and when i went to my office in the early morning hours of last evening, or what was yesterday, one or two in the morning, we turned on health care.gov and i want you to know the system

said it was overwhelmed, not because of inadequacy but because people were pressing to be able to have good health care. they needed it. people with issues and pre-existing conditions and people who are suffering from sickle cell and people with diabetes and others. they were saying thank god. one with spina biff dark a woman who was 18 years old, her family was told, you're off the insurance. god knows she'll be able to be covered. so i think -- so i want to thank you for doing that. i'm closing on a number, 3,000. these are 3,000 children in houston who are the waiting list for head start because of sequester and the government shutdown. i end on that note because we've talked about the disabled, we talked about the district of columbia, going to a park, but who cares about the children? 3,000. how many are across the nation who can't get head start? can't get food stamps because

this body decided to vote $40 billion out. i look forward to continuing this discussion, but more importantly, i want to thank you for recognizing that the way to the golden arch is through decency and compromise and sensible reconciliation. vote on a clean c.r. and we will get to the next step which is to work to make sure this government stays open and the american people are our first priority. i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. garamendi: ms. sheila jackson lee, thank you very much. there's no doubt that this house has any moment the ability to vote on the continuing resolution the senate has sent back here. if that were to happen, the president would immediately have that law on his desk. he could sign it and government would at that moment reopen. and keep in mind that that c.r. is not one we thought was the best.

it actually is significantly below the level of funding that the democrats wanted. and it does continue at least for another month and a half. the sequestration which we do not like. i'd like now to turn to ms. kaptur, ms. marcy kaptur of ohio. who spoke here on the floor a few moments ago. ms. kaptur, share with us your thoughts on the current crisis in america. ms. kaptur: i want to thank congressman gare men tee for bringing us all together this evening. congresswoman jackson lee. congressman honda. those who are here, serious about trying to rectify what happened last night with the g.o.p. shutdown of our departments of the federal government. how very irresponsible. how reckless. how it puts our economy at risk to put politics ahead of the national interest. and so, so unnecessary. i stand here this evening as a member of the appropriations committee, the committee in the

constitution that is responsible for operating and providing the funding for the departments of our government. department of transportation, department of defense, department of education, department of defense, you can go across the departments an as of the end of september, we're supposed to have the budgets passed for each of those departments for fiscal year 2014. that officially began last night at midnight and at the moment, those bills, those 12 bills have not been passed, the republicans are holding them hostage for their efforts to try to contort the legislative process to change the law, to change the affordable care act because they don't like parts of it. it has nothing to do with whether or not the department of transportation will have the funding to sign contracts to get roads paved, to repair bridges

that are in disrepair across the nation or make sure we have air controllers across this nation on a regular basis, not just an emergency basis. it has nothing to do with whether in ohio, freaks, at wright-patterson air force base, the staff can report to work at he 180th fighter wing f-16 fighter unite, whether the technicians who repair those planes, who were furloughed, over 200 of them are essential, you can't fly the plane if the the thing doesn't work, but they were let go. and they were classified as not having to report to work. this is such a mish-mash across the government of the united states and so utterly irresponsible, to try to hold

every single department hostage to the g.o.p.'s particular view of a bill that they don't like that has nothing to do with the operation of these other departments. so i stand here tonight to say that they put at risk the entire economic recovery of the country, furloughing over 800,000 people across the government of the united states, parks. we talked about parks. it's way beyond parks. we talked about the world war ii memorial and first time i have ever seen it without anyone on site because it is shut off as if a bomb hit the site and no citizens could access the site. the fountains were turned and the visitor centers were all shuttered and to what end? to what end? the normal constitutional appropriations process works in

a way that we pass our bills in the house and the senate and we meet, the house and the senate, we work out our differences and send our bills and the government operates for another year. so the g.o.p. in the house has been very unwilling to follow the rules. very irresponsible. they have now placed the whole country in jeopardy because they can't reach agreement with us. how sad, how sad for the nation and how unnecessary. how reckless to do this to the economy. and we know when contracts aren't let and contractors are calling all of our offices, when will those contracts be signed, whether it's for unmanned aerial vehicles that we have to develop in this country or whether it's fixing overflows that are a

serious challenge in the midwest and other places, the government can't conduct its business, general and departmental administrators are thinking about who is going to be furloughed tomorrow than getting the job done. it throws a wrench into the gears of a great society, a great country. i thank the gentleman for calling this special order this evening to say to the american people that we share their frustration. we are their representatives. we want the government of the united states to work. and to try to use the process that they have used to gerrymander in states like ohio to suppress the will of the majority of the people by holding the affordable care act out there and every department hostage, they are con torting the government in its ability to

operate in the same way they con torted the gerry meandering in is country when there were more votes for democrats. we only have four democratic representatives out of 16. the very same contortion that they did to the politics of the country and the drawing of those lines, they are now using that same weapon inside this house to try and con tort the legislative process that has resulted in shutdown. i thank you for bringing us together this evening to inject some reason, responsibility and prudent behavior into the way that this government operates. we share your passion for that end. mr. garamendi: thank you very much. youhould be pointed out the

are the ranking member of the strppings, programs, all of the research that goes on and the projects of nass after -- nasa also. i sense a sadness from your remarks that all of the good things that are done by those departments are simply in abayance and given the level of funding, much will not be done. let me turn to mr. honda, who has been serving for a while here, representing the silicon valley and many of what we were talking, the research and development of the economy. you have had a great deal to deal with that and cry ate the engines of economic growth. mr. honda: i just want to add my thanks to you for convening this

group and be joined by my good friends from texas, the gentleman from from san antonio and the gentlelady from houston. the comments i want to make through the speaker, two things. i want to share with the people of this country some information that maybe many people don't know about who you are, my friend. we have something in common. we spent two years in peace corps. you in ethiopia and i in el salvador and we understand the kinds of impact that we could have as individuals from this country. and to the program through peace corps that president kennedy had put together, being able to accrue a lifelong journey and

experience that allows us to eflect rather deeply and profoundly of the impacts that government can have or the impacts positive and negative. i do know that from my observation of your history in california that being the first commissioner of insurance in the state of california was significant. that experience has to have some import and some insights of what's going on today in terms of the affordable health care act and how the effort of president obama in trying to make sure that this country allows that each and every person has coverage as individuals in this country and the benefit that it brings about , the fact that you were the first commissioner of insurance

allowed you the interesting insight of the impact of the health insurance companies and how they managed to impact the cost of health care. i think being the commissioner of insurance in california also has to give you a sense of pride when october 1 is the day that we had kicked off the state exchange in california. and that has to give you a sense of accomplishment, but also a sense of not only a sense of pride but dismay, that there are folks here who would use the political process to deny people the coverage they need in order to have a good health program. i wanted to share those thoughts, not only with you, but with the folks that are viewing us in this country so they know that we are standing up not that

we want to take up time and space, but we want to utilize the experience that we have accrued over time for the benefit of this country. and that was the third mandate of the peace corps, was to come home and utilize all that we understand and invest it in this country. and so i just wanted to share that with you and with the rest of this country. now all day, the discussion has been centered on who has the leverage and hoist paying the political costs of the government shutdown. what about the human costs and what about our workers and families? what about our economy? they cannot afford this. today, there are over 800,000 people that should be working that aren't. and there are people all over this country that rely on the work that these people do. as long as the majority wages this ideological war, the

national institutes of health ll not be able to accept new patients for lifesaving research. our veterans will have to go out without pension checks and american families will have their home loans fouled. family businesses won't have access to the capital they need to grow. and pregnant women and children will be denied critical support. i urge my republicans to think about the families in their districts that don't have a vote. they deserve a better outcome. just remember at this very moment, the common denominator that there is enough agreement in this body on a funding level to end this shutdown right now. let's do that. let's bring up the senate continuing resolution, a clean one. let's put people back to work

and do what we were sent here to do, keep government working for the american people and fulfill our constitutional obligation. thank you for this opportunity. mr. garamendi: mr. honda, thank you so much and your lifetime of service, your early years in the peace corps in el salvador and bringing it home to serve right up through this day and beyond as you continue to represent the great silicon valley of california. thank you very much for all that you have done over these many years. you mentioned something, i'm going to turn to this very, very quickly. i was the insurance commissioner, and one of the things we wanted to do in california, but couldn't get the legislature to pass, was the patients' bill of rights. some of this we tried to do with regulations, but the patients bill of rights is the law of the land. when our republican colleagues

came forward with a continuing resolution that was a sequestration and low level of funding and added to it, the repeal of the repeal of the affordable care act, wait a minute, you want to repeal? i'm going to run through this quickly. young children at birth or in the early years that have developed some serious medical condition before the patient bill of rights, which now goes into effect as of this day, children cannot be denied coverage, period. there are thousands upon thousands of children across this nation that find themselves in this situation. -- priorlts at the age to the patients' bill of rights, at the age of 18, they were off of their parents' coverage and out there on their own, often

unable, particularly if they were a woman, to be able to depet insurance. but the patients' bill of rights allows them to stay on their parents' insurance until 26. 4.6 million young americans, 18-26, that are now on their parents' health coverage as a result of the affordable health care act. women have the right to health care coverage without discrimination for all kinds of things, breast cancer, prosecuting nancy and other kinds of -- pregnancy and other kinds of illnesses. there was heavy discrimination against women. we are talking about half of the population of america. at one time or another, women, actually more than half, were facing this discrimination. but no longer with the patients'

bill of rights. seniors have a right to affordable medication and also to an annual wellness visit, which has dramatically reduced the ongoing inflation rate in medicare, bending the curve. and so -- and then finally, this one down here, every american has the right to health care coverage without a limitation on the annual amount that you would be spending. . a family with a cancer case would be above the limit, and that's what caused so many bankruptcies, most of which were the result of health care problems. so they want this patients' bill of rights to be repealed, along with the rest of the apordable -- affordable care act. we on the democratic side said

this is wrong, it's not good for merps, children or adults. and we fought the fight. we're not finished with this yet. although as of today it appear ourgs republican colleagues have dropped the issue of defunding, delaying or repealing the affordable health care act as far as the continuing resolution is concerned. i will come back, we'll cover some of these things again. i'd like to tush now to our new colleague from texas, san antonio, tbs, joaquin castro, please join us. you have a great background in that city and you come with an extraordinary reputation, well earned, as a scholar and as a great citizen of san antonio. mr. castro: thank you, congressman garamendi, thank you for your work and for pointing out the many benefits of the affordable care act which as many people know, took effect today. there were so many people anxious and excited about trying to get health care coverage, about comparing

trices -- prices to see if they could get a lower price for insurance, that the website had glitches. it had problems. but that is a good thing. and in texas, we know that problem very well. we're the state with the highest percentage of people that don't have health care coverage at all. would you believe one out of four texans, 25% of kids, 25% of adults, don't have health care coverage at all. 30% of women don't have health care coverage. 38% of hispanics in texas don't have health care coverage. so the fact that the affordable care act and the exchanges kicked off today is a great day for texas and a great day for americans. as we think about what's going on today -- and today has been a sad day in our country. not only because this is the first time in 17 years that our u.s. government has shut down, but because of the way it happened. i think that, you know, when people woke up today and turned on the news or the radio or

picked up the newspaper and saw a government shutdown. people who usually live their lives, work hard every day, sometimes don't have a lot of time to pay attention to politics, saw those headlines and thought, what are these guys up in washington, what are they doing? what are they up to? and that played into all the stereotypes about how bad congress is how bad politicians are. but let's think about how this happened. during the summer, there's a junior senator from texas, from my home state that barn stormed the nation and our state insisting that we defund what was derisively call odd ba macare, that we get rid of all the patient protections and all the great things you described -- described and he said he would do everything in his power, everything in his power to make sure that that law was defunded. now, you and i both know that you pass laws and then you do budgets and you also raise the debt ceiling limit, those are

different things. that you don't hold one hostage to the other. but he insisted and got many of the tea party members in the house of representatives, in fact, he had conference calls with them, had personal meetings with them, his folks were calling up the speaker of the house on twitter and facebook, when the speaker thought about being reasonable, passing a clean c.r. so that we could go about the nation's business, and it became clear that this was playing into a pattern that has developed with republicans since 2010, since the increase in tea party republican members. and this is the pattern. think object the sequester. that came about in 2011 through the budget control act. it mostly came about because there was a lot of pressure by tea party republicans to cut every single corner of government and sho we got a bad law, the sequester, which i think most people acknowledge now is bad. but if you'll remember, congressman, when that happened, these republicans who

for years, for years, have been staking their careers on cutting government, all of a sudden magically were running away from the fact that they did it. were acting like, wow, that was never our idea. it was the president who wanted sequester. it was the democrats who insisted on sequester. when in fact for years and years and even more intensely since 2010, they have been demanding that we cut government, no matter what. but when it happened, many of them wouldn't claim it. they say that wasn't us. let's fast forward now two years. the same thing happens with the government shutdown and so the government shuts down, as they wanted, and what happens the next morning in folks come to the floor, they do interviews on television they give quotes in the newspaper, saying it wasn't us. we've been saying this the whole time, it wasn't us. it was the democrats that did it. look, if you're going to advocate for something if you're going toush -- going to push for something, you need to own it, you need to accept it.

i will say if you look at a lot of social media sites for republican a lot of tea party supporters are honest about what they want. i had a chance to read through many of them yesterday. they said shut it down, shut the government down. now, look, there may be a small percentage of americans who feel that way, who are so frustrated with government, who are so frustrated with american society, that they do in fact want to shut america down. but the vast majority of both republicans and democrats know that that's a horrendous thing. so what we have today is some errant comments by folks who slipped up, politically, and said, yes, we're happy about shutting this thing down but then you have another group of folks who even though they voted in lock step with senator cruz and the tea party republicans, now try to cast aspersions on the folks who tried to stop it, the democrats. you can't have it both ways. if you advocated for it for years, if this was your strategy, when it happens, you

take responsibility for the results. now there's also been a little bit of debate about how do you handle this situation? we know, as i said, that you don't hold the budget hostage to policy. in other words, you don't try to change policy through the budget. we understand that. so just to crystalize that, i would ask my colleagues, if you think it's ok to not raise the debt ceiling limit or approve a budget because you disagree with public policy, a law passed three years ago, then i would ask you, should we not approve a budget as democrats? or should we not raise the debt ceiling limit because we believe that there should be a comprehensive immigration reform plan with a path to citizenship? now bear in mind, these guys are saying the affordable care act is upside down in its numbers, in other words, there are probably 50% of american says they don't like it right now. more and more are liking it. but they're right on those

numbers. well, 60% of americans say they want comprehensive immigration reform. 90% of americans said they wanted background checks. should we hold out and say we're not going to raise the debt ceiling limit unless we get universal background checks or we get comprehensive immigration reform? of course not. and democrats have acted responsibly. there's a reason that we have not done that. because we respect this democracy, we respect the nation, and we're honest with the nation. and so i hope that as cooler heads prevail, that we'll be able to resolve this, that we'll be able to pass a clean c.r. and we'll be able to do the people's business in a respectful and honest way. thank you, congressman, very much for the time. mr. garamendi: mr. castro, thank you so very, very much. you spoke of your senator, senator cruz. i suspect in five years you're going to replace him and i would like that.

mr. castro: i'm happy to hear that. mr. garamendi: it's time for taos go back to our east-west show we've done here many, many nights, my colleague from the state of new york, paul tonko, has represented for six years now -- five years -- the area where the industrial revolution began. along the hudson river. but right now we're looking at a -- did i said the hudson? you said the mohawk. mr. tonko: it's both. we cover both in our district. mr. garamendi: but right now we're in a fix here in washington. all the thingus talked about over these many years building the american economy, manufacture, the research you were responsible for for the state of new york, it's all shut down. share with us your thoughts. mr. tonko: sure. the gentleman from texas gave us a great rundown of the dynamics that brought us to this moment. it's a sad day in this house

with a government shutdown. the republican shutdown of government is something that i think bears great consequences and we've seen it and heard about it already. i wasn't here for the last such episode which is about 17 years old in duration but i know that hearing from constituents already about concerns for vital services, about furloughing, about the impact on family budgets for our many, many federal workers, is real. so we need to move forward, i think, in a way that allows taos address a clean c.r. people say, what is a clean c. sflmplet what is a c.r.? a continuing resolution allows for a short-term continuation of a federal budget absent a negotiated budget. i think we find ourselveses in this situation where we require a c.r. and hopefully a clean one, no bells and whistles, no attachments, and the desire to

attach the affordable care act and to call it on this floor in those discussions, those debates, a bill, is disingenuous. it's an act. it's a law that was signed into place by the president. and that was given the constitutional approval when reviewed by the highest court in the land, the supreme court. let's call it what it is. it's a law. this is unprecedented, trying to take a law and repeal it as part of a negotiating process to move a budget forward. a budget should be about the math of that budget, about upward, downward adjustments of programs, and putting together a blueprint for whatever a three-month, four-month scenario that will enable the government to be funded and continue to operate, and quickly coming upon the heels of that is a debt ceiling bill that needs again approval from congress to have america pay her bills.

so these are basic, fundamental processes that ought not be tainted by political whim and disagreement and discontent with an outcome that is three years old now and found a great threshold date today, october 1, as many people are now allowed to enroll across the country for the purposes of health care coverage. affordable, accessible, quality health care for individuals and families. schematic, the mission statement, the goal. we need to go forward, get out of this shutdown and not enable it to continue for any longer in duration. we need to make certain that we understand that the need for a c.r. a continuing resolution, is because we don't have a budget. the united states senate aproved its version of the budget, when the house of representatives, this body, approved its version of a budget and when the president and his administration offered

their fiscal blueprint for the next coming fiscal year, we should have moved forward. many of us, yourself, myself, aggressively encouraged the leadership to name the panelists at the conference table. name the conferees, as they're dubbed, to the process so we can put together a budget. balanced, bold, that allows us to do the sort of creative qualities that would reduce he deficit, grow the economy, create a climate for growing jobs, and produce revenues where they're essential, so we cut where we can in order to invest where we must, especially in this innovation economy that should have been thed or over business for the dave. this whole debate this whole shutdown, the republican shutdown that happened to become reality this morning at midnight could have been avoided if we had gone forward, named the conferee, named the panelists to the conference table to negotiate out a settlement, recommend to the two house, get the work done.

this economy this nation, requires that. the individuals, family members, across this nation, deserve that sort of certainty, as does the small business community. that's the business that should have been accomplished, but instead we find ourselves requiring a c.r. and now in this painful moment of allowing for the budget to be funded, or a c.r. to be done, we attach bells and whistles like the repeal of the affordable care act, unnecessary, immoral in a sense to hold back a process like this. mr. garamendi: if i might just add to the exposition you laid out, the two budget proposals, the senate and house budget proposals, both passed the senate -- both passed. the senate appointed conferees. to this moment, the house has not appointed conferees.

mr. tonko: and the leader of the minority has named confereers in house. just about everyone named those individuals who will be part of the team at the conference table getting work done. mr. garamendi: so the republican leadership refused to establish the conference committee by refusing to name the conferees. mr. tonko: right. and 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 reasons, perhaps not believing in your own budget that you put together as a house. otherwise why 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. garamendi: there you have it. and we have a shutdown. may i inquire how much time we have left? . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman has about five minutes.

you have five minutes remaining. mr. garamendi: thank you invest. mr. tonko, let us split -- thank you very much. mr. tonko, let us split that time. would you like to close or continue on? mr. tonko: i will just make mention of this. i think the muddying up, if you will, of a c.r., a continuing resolution, with first calling it a bill on the floor several times over is disingenuous. people place trust in us. you should honor that trust. 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 the 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. and 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 this sort of integrity this process, we have not shown the respect to individuals and families that are automatically showing today, with the very aggressive, very, very involved activism today to sign up with the affordable care act, we are disregarding that. we are disrespecting that.

and i think, you know, the polling that was done, i saw a poll today that said 71% of the american public does not believe we should hold up and fold the government, shut down the government because of aver an effort to repeal the ford fore. -- in an effort to repeal the affordable care act. thank you for the opportunity to join you. mr. garamendi: mr. tonko, thank you so very much for joining me once again. i'm going to wrap this up with a note of sadness. the american government is shut down. it is shut down because of a conflict that has developed between the democrats and the republicans here in the house, and on the senate side. it's a conflict that didn't have to happen. we could have worked this out in a conference committee, had speaker boehner chosen to appoint conferees. didn't take place. a continuing resolution, the democrats compromised seriously and accepted a continuing

resolution at the sequestration level. far less money than we think is necessary. but we wanted to keep the government running. we refused to abandon the affordable care act and the millions upon millions of americans who have benefited from that and are benefiting today as the exchanges are going into place. california's had an enormous success and it will work. and as it works, i think we'll find that those americans, some 40 million that do not have health insurance, will in the next months ahead get their health insurance at an affordable cost. and this is already bending the cost curve for american health care. it's a good thing. but it's also a very sad day. there is absolutely no reason that this government would shut down except for the intransigence of our republican colleagues, demanding of repeal of things like the patients bill of rights. demanding that we go back on a

promise that america has tried to have for some 60 years now of providing health insurance for all americans. we're moving toward that with the affordable care act or obamacare. it's a sad day, but it's also a hopeful day. it's a hopeful day because the exchanges are working. there will be computer glitches and there will be some error in the mathematics. but across this nation the exchanges are working and the american public that is uninsured, not the insured, but the uninsured -- uninsured, they're going to the exchange and they're saying, let me shop, let me shop in a rational market where we can compare prices and quality and providers. they're doing that all across this nation. so it's hopeful. it's a hopeful moment. even though we have penalty is the last week battling out the fundamental question. is america going to move forward and stay in business?

or is the government going to shut down? the republicans chose to shut down the government. are americaning going to get health care? -- are americans going to get health care? the republicans said, no, the affordable care act must be repealed. the democrats said, no way, no how. notice place, folks -- it's in place, folks. the affordable care act is in place and the exchanges are working and millions of americans will find an opportunity to buy insurance in a competitive market, free market, not a government market, but a market structured by government so that the private sector can display its insurance policies. what their price is, what their quality is, which doctors they can go to. it's a sad day but it's also a hopeful day. mr. speaker, with our 54 minutes, we thank you for the opportunity to explain this and we yield back our time.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. under the speaker's announced the of january 3, 2013, gentleman from georgia, mr. gingrey, is recognized for 60 nutes -- for 54 minutes, i'm sorry, as the designee of the majority leader. the gentleman is recognized. mr. gingrey: mr. speaker, thank you very much. and i especially thank speaker of the house, john boehner, for allowing the house g.o.p. doctors caucus to have the leadership hour tonight on this historic day. october 1, the obamacare exchange launch day. it's entirely fitting that the speaker allowed our house g.o.p. doctors caucus. this group, mr. speaker, is made up of medical doctors, made up of registered nurses,

dentists, hospital administrators, psychologists, op tomorrow terrorists -- opt om terrorists, with over, get any, mr. speaker, with over 600 years of clinical experience. who knows better in this amber of 435 than these 21 men and women who have spent their -- almost their entire professional lives before being elected to the house of representatives in the health care sector? so here we are, october 1, obamacare exchange launch date. and hearing about malfunctions nationwide. we have received warning signs for months now that obamacare wasn't ready, my colleagues, for primetime. now, with exchange malfunctions in more than 30 states on

opening day, the best h.h.s. can do is tweet, i'm sorry? on top of that, after having years to prepare for this disastrous law, the president informed us that we could expect these glitches for months to come. obamacare was a bad law when it s signed 3 1/2 years ago and now that we know what's in it, i firmly believe it's even worse -- it's an even worse law today. someone trying to receive coverage in the exchange right here in washington, d.c., reported this today, mr. speaker. after waiting on hold for three hours and 43 minutes, i was finally able to speak to a representative who told me she could not help me find a health insurance plan or provide any plan pricing information

because, and this is a quote, the system is down and not currently working at this time, end quote. she recommended i call back in a few days. in ss $1.329 trillion taxpayer funds no longer gets you a functional government takeover of health care. mr. speaker, how can the administration expect people to believe that the exchanges are ready and that this bill is ready for primetime with americans facing this sort of experience today, october 1, the rollout day? let me just take a moment and maybe play david letterman, top reasons why obamacare's exchanges aren't ready for primetime, colleagues. number one, your data isn't

secure. think about that. in the obamacare exchanges, federal bureaucrats will have unprecedented access to your personal data. thank the gavitt -- thank the navigators who were hired. they'll have not only access to your health care data but also to your financial data. and this raises a myriad of privacy questions, which are only further emboldinned by the risk of human error. recently a minnesota exchange mployee accidentally leaks 2,400 social security numbers. number two, no eligibility erification to enroll. no eligibility verification to enroll. the obama administration announced this summer that it will allow individuals to

self-attest that he or she meets income requirements to get a tax credit, a subsidy. eligibility verification is not only required by the law, which the administration has chosen to ignore again, it ensures that aid reaches the most vulnerable americans for whom it was sbenleded. i recently voted for the no subsidies without verification act to correct, mr. speaker, this wreckless policy. that law, that bill that i voted for is not law yet in se the majority leader the senate has pull the it in file 13 where he puts every other bill that the republican house passes. and i'm very pleased that the author of this bill,

representative diane black from tennessee, a member of the house g.o.p. doctors caucus, is with us tonight and i'll be yielding time to her momentarily. number three, mr. speaker. software glitches. across the nation further implementation delays have been caused by several glitches in the health exchange software. one of these accounts even strikes at the heart of the law's coverage expansions, making it impossible to determine how much people need to pay for coverage. number four, system not prepared for small businesses. the obama administration recently warned the small businesses, those companies that employ less than 50 people, sometimes maybe 10 or 15, that they won't yet be able to shop for health insurance for their employees through online exchanges, leaving them

to rely on snail mail or faxes for at least another month. number five, plans advertised on the exchange, mr. speaker, are misleading. earlier this month it was reported that many insurers, including florida blue and aetna, were concerned that information offered on the exchange sites were misleading and in some cases are not representative of plans that exist. well, i could go on, but at this point i would like to yield to my colleague, the gentlelady from tennessee, and the author of that bill, and i know she wants to talk about that, mr. speaker, presentative diane black. mrs. black: i thank the gentleman from georgia for

yielding and i thank you for having this tonight and giving us an opportunity to talk about the patient affordability act. mr. speaker, americans didn't want a government shutdown, and don't want obamacare. because of the senate democrats, today, they are staring both in the face. we offered the senate democrats three bipartisan continuing resolutions that would keep the government open and protect the american people from this onerous mandate in the president's disastrous health care law only to see them quickly rejected along party lines with little opportunity for debate. obamacare and the senate democrats and the reviews are in, they're not good. today, millions of americans experienced delays and technical gitches in trying to enroll in

obamacare exchanges, leading the associated press to report that the program, quote, is not working as plan, unquote. meanwhile, the wall street journal tried unsuccessfully to apply online for obamacare in all 50 states. p and on misnbc, a reporter gave up after 30 minutes saying, and forote, if i was signing up myself, this is where my patience would be exhausted. but mr. speaker, this is the beginning. thousands of unlicensed assist tors will be tasked with going across the country and talking about the president's health care law. they will have as little as 20 hours of training. no back grouped checks. let me say that once again, no background check or high school

diploma or prior experience required despite having access to our personal information including our name, our addresses, social security numbers and tax returns. don't worry says the obama administration, they'll have 2707-page navigator standard procedures manual, the size of a college textbook. this is the guide that navigators should be expected to learn in just 20 hours. now, mr. speaker, i have been working my way through this manual hoping it would provide these navigators with insight into our complex health care system. instead i'm finding that this manual is filled with lessons ike in section 2-2-1, smiling. yes, it says smiles are contagious the manual reads.

usually when you smile at someone, they'll smile back at you. the manual goes on to instruct to nod occasionally when interacting with customers and maintain an open and inviting posture. addressing security concerns, the manual reminds navigators t to leave "leave american taxpayer return information on printers and fax machines. mr. speaker, the navigator program is an open invitation for misuse of taxpayer information. the american people should not have their most sensitive personal information in the hands of people who do not have even a bare minor are subjected to background checks. my house republican colleagues and i remain committed to fighting this law and protecting

americans from widespread fraud and abuse in the obamacare navigator program. the senate has an open invitation to join us. the question is, when will they. thank you. and i yield back. mr. gingrey: i thank the gentlelady from tennessee. and let me just, colleagues, point out to you this poster that i have before us. this this is the official united states government web site to get information about the rollout of the exchanges. and that's today. as we said at the outset of the hour, october 1. and the web site healthcare.gov, if you went to it mr. speaker, my colleagues. here's the information that you get. the system is down at the moment

. we're working to resolve the issue as soon as possible. please try again later. 3 1/2 3 1/2 years ago, 2010, the arch 23, affordable care act, patient affordable care act, the official name of this law, was signed by the president. yes, it did become the law of the land. i don't think the name of the law is very appropriate, patient protection -- i doubt it. affordable? listen to this. affordable care act. in my home state of georgia, mr. speaker, the aetna health insurance company has a number of policy holders and a recent

letter was sent to those policy holders, mr. speaker. and let me read it, because i hink this is so telling. we're here to help you with your health insurance. we value our customers. we want to help you understand your health plan options for 2014. once again, mr. speaker, this is a letter from aetna health insurance to their clients -- to their policy holders. the affordable care act is changing health insurance. this includes adding new preventive care and essential health benefits requirements, in other words, mandated. the government is going to tell people and health insurance companies what has to be in the policies. they go on to say, the affordable care act also ends

medical underwriting. due to these and other changes, some people will pay more for their health coverage and others, less. in other words, standard, standard rates, whether you have a pre-existing condition -- you could have heart disease, you could have high blood pressure, ve diabetes, type ii or be a 28-year-old man or woman, , no hy, strong, athletic gene in s, enjoy the your family so you are going to pay the same thing that someone who is 58 years old with three or four pre-existing conditions, well, that's exactly the case

and that's why they go on to say -- aetna says to their policy holders, the affordable care act will affect your health insurance plan. your current policy will end december 31 of this year, 2013. you need to buy a new plan now so that you do not have a gap in coverage on january 1, 2014. and then they go on to say this, mr. speaker. ere are your buy-in options. uy a 2013 aetna plan effective in december. this plan is identical to your current coverage and it would continue for the next 12 months. then you will need to buy a new affordable care act plan in

2015. if you choose this option, please take action by november 25 of 2013. now, here's your other option, as they point out, option number two. care 2014 aetna affordable act plan, affordable, and i emphasize that again, effective january 1, 2014. this plan meets all affordable care act requirements. if we hear from you or you don't take any action, we will automatically enroll you into the 2014 affordable care plan below. now, listen to this, mr. speaker. the current plan, the one that they're on, the 2013 plan, georgia managed choice open

access value 2500, that's what the plan's called, if you go ahead -- and they said by november 25, 2013 -- if you resign up, re-up for that plan that you like and the president said if you like your plan, you can keep it -- remember that one -- your monthly premium will be $364. $364. now, your other choice, the 2014 affordable care act plan aetna $634 a month,.d., mr. speaker. remember, the 2013 plan, i said $364. if you buy the affordable care plan mandated by the government in 2014, double, double.

so anybody that thinks that the insurance commissioner, ralph hudgins of the state of georgia didn't know what he was talking about several months ago when he said the affordable care act in some instances, aetna giving us their information, the premiums are going to go up as much as 100%. that's, mr. speaker, that is exactly what we're talking about. we just absolutely cannot afford the affordable care act. the president assured us that this was paid for, that it was not going to cost more than $900

billion over 10 years. the c.b.o. now says plrks speaker, that it's at least that much in costs. o, look, at midnight, on october 1, you heard my colleagues from the other side of the aisle just a few minutes ago in their leadership hour, talking about the federal government shutting down. and indeed at midnight on october 1, appropriations for the federal government did expire. by law, congress must agree on a funding measure or the government will shut down. as washington has been run by democrats for the past five years, mr. speaker, it's become a dysfunctional disaster. americans expect and they

deserve their elected officials to work together, to work together to find solutions. president obama and senate democrats have drawn red lines and they refuse to negotiate or even talk to those who disagree with them unless, of course, it's president putin of russia or rouhani of iran. in fact, house republicans have passed three continuing resolutions or temporary spending bills to keep this government open and to either defund or delay obamacare, which the majority of americans support. they were against it 3 1/2 years ago. they are against it today, and they support what we are doing in the republican house of

representatives. and i praise and commend speaker john boehner and our leadership, eric cantor, kevin mccarthy, for the strength they have had in regard to this and for being so inclusive for every single member of our caucus. all of these proposals, mr. speaker, that were submitted to the senate were rejected. they were rejected by harry reid and senate democrats. this morning, in the wee hours of this morning, the senate voted 54-46 against coming to the negotiating table with house republicans. the speaker just said -- and i'll refer to my colleagues to poster, i would like for all of you to take a close look at this poster, because this says it all

in these hashtags. let's talk, if the president can talk to putin and rouhani, why in the world can't the president talk to conferees in the house of representatives? sit down and talk. you have rejected not one, not two, not three, but four of our proposals without even a response, without even a counterproposal. and what the speaker has said, let's talk. i've appointed, and he has appointed, the best and brightest minds on the republican side of this chamber to discuss this issue with the conferees. but, mr. speaker, harry reid, the majority leader, has refused to come to the table.

has refused to appoint conferees. harbaughtag at number two in regard -- hashtag number two in regard to what we ave been asking as just some compromise in regard to passing a c.r. and keeping this federal government open. we have nobody on our side of the aisle, nobody, mr. speaker, wants this government or wanted this government to shut down. but here is what was rejected by the house -- by the senate democrats. by harry reid, the majority leader. look at this second hashtag. airness for all. #fairnessforall.

if the president, mr. speaker, can say to large employers across this country who went to him and lobbied, big lobbying shops, the ability to do this, , d say, look, we're not ready the january 1, 2014, does not give us time to prepare the documents that we need to prepare, that are required by the affordable care act. and the president by executive order granted them a year delay. with no fines, no penalties, no nothing. everything the same as it has been prior to the passage of obamacare. , fairness for all, why not do the same thing for middle america, for the men and women that are struggling,

working every day, sometimes two jobs, to support their families, and you're going to say that for them, no waiver. no special treatment. no fairness. if you don't have a health insurance policy and one that is dictated to you by the federal government in regard to what it has to entail, then we're going to fine you $95 if you're an individual or $295 if you're a family. that's what -- that was one of the things that we asked of the senate in regard to extending the c.r. fairness for all. sum marle rejected by -- sum arly rejected by harry reid. no then the last point, special treatment. you know, colleagues, mr. speaker, you know exactly what i'm talking about here.

members of congress by law, this was put in on the senate side, but by law members of congress and their staff are no longer, come january 1, be in the federal employee health benefit plan. they will be part of obamacare. they will have to get their health insurance in the exchanges. and by law they're not eligible, unless their salary allows it, maybe some entry-level staff members would be eligible for a subsidy, but certainly no member of congress . well, the people in georgia, the people in my district, when they found out about that, mr. speaker, and my colleagues, they were absolutely livid. this is a fairness issue. this is absolutely something hat anyone can see is wrong.

we should be treated, we the democratic majority, not we the republicans, but congress enacted this law and to say that we should get a dispensation from it and then cram it down the throats of the american people who never wanted it in the first place, that is grossly, grossly unfair. well, mr. speaker, i see that i've been joined by another colleague of mine in the house g.o.p. doctors caucus, and this is the gentlewoman from north carolina, a registered nurse, her husband is a general surgeon. she is a great member of this body and i'm proud to yield time to representative ellmers. mrs. ellmers: thank you so much to my colleague, distinguished colleague from georgia, and this is such an important day. we have reached day one of obamacare exchange being up and

if you look at the chart that , have up, very similar, phil to the one that the congressman from georgia, the same chart that you are showing is what north carolina is seeing today. for any north carolinian who is going on the website, it is not ready for primetime. i rise today to talk about the failures of obamacare and why we have persisted for so long to remove this terrible law. it is law. we get that. we understand it. it was upheld by the supreme court. however, it is a bad law. it is bad for america, it is bad for the economy, it is bad for health care. and as it is right now, it will not be improved. there's no way that we can change it, that we can improve

it at this point. being up, 32 states showing the same screen to those who are going online, those who have been promised this exchange, so that they can check and see what kind of coverage they will have available to them, this is what they are seeing. couples -- coupled with the government shutdown, we which we all tried to avoid, with every effort possible, there again the senate not cooperating with us, the president staying committed to obamacare going forward, when we know the structure is simply not in place. you know, mr. speaker, i ran for office a couple of years ago, i was elected in 2010. my whole goal has been to repeal obamacare. because it is not only, again,

devastating to the american people, to our economy, but to health care itself. when you've devoted your life to something, and you see that it is just being taken apart in front of you, you know that you have to act. nevertheless, here we are, day one, obamacare. ay one, failure. 3 1/2 years, countless administration officials have testified before us in subcommittee hearings and energy -- in energy and commerce, over and over and over again, the question has been posed to them, will the ex changes be -- exchanges be ready october 1, 2013? repeatedly, consistently we heard from administrators of hose agencies, yes, we are right online, everything is moving completely the way that

we would envision it to move, yeah, there may be some glitches here and there, but we are ready to go october 1. and this is what the american people are seeing. mr. gingrey: if the gentlelady will yield to me for just a second, i'll yield right back to her. even the hispanic language website is not available to these people. that need to get that vital information. the website for the hispanics is down. mrs. ellmers: and that gets to the greater point. the gentleman points out, this objective, when president obama put it forward, i go back to the summer of 2009. i was not in any position ever considering running for office. working at a -- working as a nurse with my husband in his general surgery practice, ying to take care of the

patients back home, and when we were learning about what the president was proposing, we said, you know what? we just can't simply sit back and watch this happen to us. we have to speak out. because there were many in our medical community who said, you know, this is wrong. this is wrong. we know that there are reforms that are needed. we know that we have so much to fix in health care. but this approach, this government takeover of health care, is only going to lead to socialized medicine. we know that. and that's not a winning health care system. not when you have the best health care system in the world . so we did. we started speaking out. we got out on the road, we talked to people, we explained to them how dangerous this was. the very conversations i was having then are being realized today. the fears that we were discussing, the issues that we were discussing about where this would take us in health care is now being realized. the quote that's on the chart, the system is down at the moment, we are working to

resolve this issue as soon as possible. lease try again later. that is what the people who are in need of health care, that's what they're reading. and for the hardworking taxpayers of america, that is what you're paying for. a complete and total failure of the federal government. we agree, the system is down. that is why we fought so hard for a delay. that is why we felt that that reform was a very essential piece moving forward. that is why we're fighting today for every american to have the same health care coverage, the same options that we in congress have. every american should be treated fairly. every american should have the same opportunities as everyone else. you cannot just simply hand out waivers to those that you pick and choose. you know, when big businesses have the ability now to have

that mandate put to the side for a year, why does the individual, the individual who needs it more than anyone, the one who's going to that site, looking for health care, they can't even be helped by that right now. but meanwhile, we're telling them, oh, and by the way, you're going to pay for this. if you're a young adult male in north carolina, your premiums are going to quadruple. if you're a young woman, your health care premiums are going to triple. that is who is going to pay for this and the system is down. it isn't even working. as my colleagues and i have been saying over and over again, this law is not ready for primetime. and it never will be. it is unworkable, it will continue to remain and for months again, h.h.s., i.r.s., c.m.s., all of these agencies have repeatedly said that when

today comes, october 1, it would be up and running. i do want to share with you one -- just one of many, but one phone call we received today from one of my constituents, rachel bur in north carolina. she called our office and spoke to one of my staff and she was emotional, she was concerned and she was afraid. she said, my husband's premium is going up 155%. we are shocked. i am on maternal -- maternity leave and i'm afraid to know how much mine is going to go up. i'm sure the letter is on its way, though. in anticipation of this, this poor woman is waiting to receive that information. and what she said was, obamacare seems to be nothing

but a punishment on those who are trying to do the right thing. rachel, i can't agree more. that's what the problem is here. that's why we're working so hard to fix it. we will remain committed to this issue, we will continue to pursue a delay. and by the way, we will continue to pursue avenues for health care coverage that really are truly affordable, that really do give more coverage to americans, that really are patient-centered, such as the r.s.c. plan, the american health care reform act that members of our own conference worked on, eight members to be exact. to give the american people a choice other than this failure on october 1 of obamacare. and with that i yield back the balance of my time. mr. gingrey: mr. speaker, i thank the gentlelady from north

carolina and the very fine points that she made in regard to this law. and the problems that the american people are facing here as i say, 3 1/2 years after enactment of the law, mr. speaker, i can't imagine it to get 3 1/2 years something right and not have enough time, but just listen to this. the administration was scheduled to certify the security of the health i.t. system, information technology, people's health information just hours before millions of americans are expected to upload their personal information, health care information, financial information -- you

know, that's pretty scary prospect, my colleagues, mr. speaker, to think that just hours ahead of time, what is more important than one's personal health care information ? not even their financial information, because we're talking about life and death issues here, mr. speaker. it has given waivers and delays to politically-favored friends, but left the rest of america to bear the full weight of the law. that's what we were talking about in this poster that i want my colleagues once again to focus in regard to fairness for all. fairness for all. we're not getting it. to quell the public's growing discontent, the president is

actually now mocking efforts to protect families from this looming train wreck as crazy. the american people face costly and onerous mandates, small businesses struggle to keep up with the rising costs. doctors, my colleagues, my former colleagues in georgia years practiced for 26 object stet at the time tricks and gynecology in cobb county, the heart of the 11th congressional district, doctors frustrated with the challenges of a government-run health care system and the security of america's health and financial information is unknown. mr. speaker, my colleagues, the doctors know -- they know this is just a first salvo. they understand that the intent

was to have a single-payer system not unlike the u.k., canada or australia, but that's what the leading democrats, the democrats that have been in this body for 20, 30, 40 and in some cases 50 years have been trying to literally force-feed to the american people who absolutely don't want it. add october 1 to the list of dates on which the obama administration present tends an unworkable health care scheme is precisely what the american people were promised, an admission not yet made but inevitably nonetheless. as a wn october 1, 2013

as a day in ifmy, this is not what americans deserve and it's a reminder that we need new leadership. we need new leadership in the white house and in the senate. we need a new senate majority leader. and after 2014, i think we're going to have one. house republicans will continue working day and night to return the united states government to business asiness as usual, to b as usual. i oppose a government shutdown, as i said at the outset of the hour, mr. speaker, as i conclude our time. i oppose a government shutdown and i'm fighting, yes, to repeal obamacare, as i have for the last four years. in the meantime, in the

meantime, i do agree with president obama that implementation of this flawed and disastrous health care law must be delayed. it must be delayed. however, mr. speaker, the president has only delayed obamacare for his political friends, a few privileged americans and big corporations. that's where we disagree. if we cannot repeal the law, i believe that it must be delayed for all americans. and we have spent the last 50 minutes, mr. speaker, talking about that, explaining to our colleagues in this chamber and to the american people that this law is not and will never be ready for prime time.

it was flawed from the very beginning. has it brought down the costs of health care? is there anything in the law about medical liability reform that the president promised? has it fulfilled the pledge from the president of the united states that if you like your health insurance, you can keep it? nothing has to change? has it fulfilled the mandate that it has strengthened medicare? ow, mr. speaker, can a law $750 then medicare when billion was taken out of that program for our precious seniors, our parents and our grandparents that is struggling, it's struggling and statistics show if we don't make some

changes by as early as 2016, that claims will not be honored? and when that happens, and when we continue to cut reimbursement to our priors, there will be no primary-care doctors to take care of our most precious seniors. so these are the things that from the very beginning, you are robbing peter to pay paul. you are taking money out of one entitlement program to create a whole new entitlement program. i guess you could call it, mr. speaker, medicare for all, from cradle to grave. but really what it is is national health insurance. and we're talking about health care in this country is 1/6 of our economy. do we want the federal government -- think about it,

ladies and gentlemen of the house of representatives on both sides of the aisle -- think about it. you want the federal government, that entity that runs amtrak, that entity that's responsible for the u.s. postal service, you 1/6 of entity to run the economy and that 1/6 dealing with life and death? and the health of the nation? no. no, mr. speaker. we don't want that. the american people don't want that. it's loud and clear. astounds me that this democratic majority in the senate and this president won't even agree to basic fairness issues like i have here on this

poster, won't even agree to go to conference with the conferees that our great speaker, john boehner, has appointed. to just sit down and talk. the president goes all over the world talking to people that i wouldn't talk to in a new york minute i wouldn't talk to them. i wouldn't trust them. but we can trust each other. the men and women in this house on both sides of the aisle, the men and women in the senate on both sides of the aisle, the leadership, these are honorable people. and to just stand in the way of sitting down and having a conversation and saying, look, you disagreed with our fairness for all issue. you disagreed with our no special treatment. please, let's talk. at's what speaker boehner is

saying to leader reid. and i think if we do that, i think if we do that, we can solve this problem and move forward with the financial security of this nation. we are on a fiscal cliff. we owe $17 trillion and on october 17, the treasury says we are going to have to borrow another god knows how much, is $3 1 trillion, $2 trillion, trillion? i don't know. but we can't kick the can down the road anymore. this can won't even move because it is so crunched up. it is time for us to come together, as the speaker says, and let's talk. and with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. gingrey: mr. speaker, i move that the house be adjourned. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on the motion to

adjourn. those in favor say aye. opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly the house stands ad

>> we are collecting your comments on our twitter page, with the #cspanchat. natalie says, since the government is shut down, i

should not have to continue to pay taxes. we will go to rick, up first on our republican line, from texas. from pleasanton, texas, and i am a republican, and i disagree with the republicans, and i am thinking about changing to either independent or democrat, because there is no reason to shut down the government for any reason. about stuffking that i am getting sick of listening to. i have thought about getting rid of the tv and going back to listen to radio. this is not enjoyable at all. but i thank you for your time, and good luck to all that wants to vote republican this next time. >> thanks for the call. the president spoke to reporters in the rose garden of the white house, where he talked not only about the government shutdown, but also day one of the affordable care act, and the

exchanges that have opened up. as you heard from house republicans, some problems with gov,website at healthcare. as many as 8 million people trying to get some information. on a number of occasions, the website either froze up or was in accessible. mary is joining us from greenville, north carolina, democrats line. >> good evening. i am really disgusted with this whole situation. can you hear me? >> sure can. really irritates me that the senators and the congressman are going to get subsidies out of our pockets to pay for their insurance. i mean, come on. they certainly have more money in their pocket than i do. i have been talking to some friends who have children that are in their 20's. young man was paying $85 a month for his insurance, and now he is going to have to pay $265,

and he can only see the dr. four times a year. think that sounds fair, and i do not like the idea of navigators who are not trained or verified. i think they should delay it. insurance, and i am grandfathered in. they have to send me a notice letting me know what my rate is going to be, either. i think it is pathetic. in the county i am in, you only have one insurance choice, one company, and that is it all stop north carolina only has two companies to choose from. maybe some of the other states have more. >> reed williams has this point on our twitter page. the hashtag is #cspanchat.

>> i am kind of curious on what they are going to end up doing for the small businesses that have already gotten insurance is. that, becausebout my husband is an otr, and my grandson's father has just got done joining the military. my daughter is a single mother. what is she going to end up doing for insurance? plus, i am trying to get on disability. they are saying my husband makes too much for me to be able to the disability. how is that going to end up working, with me trying to get on that when there are other people on disability that are the same? my husband -- it goes from there. on thee also doing this obamacare and that. they are doing all this stuff. plus they are putting the raises up there, but the income on the

food and stuff, we cannot end up feeding our own family. how they are going to end up doing that? thanks for the time. >> another viewer says, what do the republicans think is going to happen? this is no way to negotiate, and they know this. i am annoyed. andrew is joining us from charlotte, north carolina. has gaveled out for the night. lawmakers back tomorrow, 10:00 eastern time, 7:00 for those of you on the west coast. i think the conversation has shifted more to the shutdown, rather than the affordable care act or the on affordable care act. unaffordable care act. web, andget on on the their assistants cannot answer certain questions. they say they cannot answer personal questions, but they want all the personal questions for me.

time ition is, at any can call a car insurance company. i can call a cell phone company. i can call any company and get static rates for the next year. who would ever sign up for a cell phone company, saying that, if you apply today, we will give you the rates. they are subject to change. which means i can sign up for a cell phone today, and in three months, the rates could double, and i would have no way of controlling that. likewise, they cannot even give me a raise. , whatare going to do this makes the most sense, considering that if you can i give anybody rates, and cannot give them a guarantee of rates, how can you offer a product? have a great evening. way, to reporters who have been following this closely from usa today and the l.a. times -- if you are interested,

the entire event is available on our website. you can check it out anytime at c-span.org. i want to direct your attention to a piece at the huffington post, keeping track of some house republicans who want to pass what is known as a clean continuing resolution, without any attachments related to the health care law. the list includes congressman pat mead of pennsylvania, scott rigell of virginia, jon runyan of new jersey, lou barletta of pennsylvania, pete king of new california,nunes of charlie dent of pennsylvania, frank wolf of virginia, michael grimm of new york, erik paulsen of minnesota, and rob wittman of virginia. she points out in her story that less than a day after the government shutdown, house republicans are slowly but steadily coming forward to say they are ready to pass a bill to fund the government, with no strings attached. the list i just read a moment ago -- it would take 17

republicans, along with all the democrats, to cobble together the votes to pass what is known as a clean, continuing resolution. at thery is online huffington post. 17 republicans needed if that is going to change. democrats line, good evening. >> my concern is, i am a registered nurse, and i work for a city hospital that is not-for- profit. i do not see the big deal. i do not see what the big problem is. what is wrong with giving health care to those that need it? what is wrong with giving health care to those that are uninsured? it is better for our country. it is better for our people. .t is better for the population i do not understand it. i do not understand what the big deal is on why the government had to shut down behind this.

it was aderstand that republican effort to try to stop the president's health care law, and they tied it into the consume -- the continuing resolution, the new budget. they needed a cr to keep the government in operation. >> exactly, and i think it was a direct hit point on obama. it was nothing else, just a direct hit towards obama. >> the president is scheduled at the moment to leave for a four nation trip through asia, but the government shutdown continues. there is speculation within the white house that the trip may be postponed. it all depends on what happens tomorrow and thursday, here in washington. you can join us online. #c-spanchat. democratic leader harry reid had this to say. the speaker of the united states house of representatives holds the key to the federal

government. the fact is very simple. the key is to allow 435 members of the house of representatives to vote to reopen the government, and do it now. it is not too late to avert the worst economic problems the shutdown relate to. but you see, i am not the only one calling for the speaker to open the government. i am not the only one calling on him to do the right thing. republicant congressman scott rigel from virginia said this morning. he said, we fought the good fight. it is time for a clean cr that is a republican congressman. democrats will gladly go to conference. speaker boehner and house republicans are engaging in silly, empty political stunts.

is going to do is have some republican members of congress sit down for a photo op across from empty chairs. that is really so unique. has it ever been done before? a be only 5000 or 6000 times since i have been in washington. but instead of empty chairs, this is an empty stunt. republicans, time for photo ops and these silly stunts should end. shutting down the government is not kid stuff. shutting down the government is deadly serious. the business community has warned of the grave economic consequence of shutdown. for every day the speaker refuses to use the key to reopen government, the american economy is being cost billions of dollars, every day. this solution is as clear this morning as last night.

reopen the government. you hold the key to putting millions of public servants back to work. once that happens, madam president, we are happy to go to conference, but only if the government is reopened. >> a live view of the u.s. capitol. comments earlier in the day by democratic senate leader harry reid. both houses back in session tomorrow. you can join us on our facebook facebook.com/cspan. who is responsible for the current fiscal stalemate in washington? the majority say congressional republicans, followed by the white house, followed by congressional democrats. we have well over 1400 comments posted on our site, including nancy, who says, the people voted. just like some folks balked at

medicare in 1965 -- it worked. join us online and share your comments with us at facebook.com/c-span. bill is joining us from farmersville, texas, independent line. >> i waited about 30 minutes to get on here. not quite that long. i called c-span before and have never been fortunate enough to get through, so i am excited. this is kind of multifaceted, i guess you could say. , fornot give my real name protection purposes. i am in the military, ok?

one, let us just say the people want affordable health care, the aca, or whatever. that is fine. let them have it. i am not necessarily blaming republicans or democrats, or any of them. let us just say for many that the republicans are to blame for "holding the country hostage." fine. they should knock it off. let this thing take full effect. see what happens. i personally think it will fail. i do not understand it all stop i do not think anybody understand that. being in the military, i am fortunate enough to have health care. think it is do not very good, but it works for me. one thing that really strikes a note with me that i would never forget, and i do not see how any in this country can forget, is

the day that nancy pelosi got on stage and said, i do not know what is in the bill, but we need to pass it to see what is in it. do you understand what i am saying? at a government shutdown. that is fine. see what happens with a government shutdown. however, it is going to directly impact me and several of my fellow servicemembers that are trying to go to a school. there are over a thousand of us who have been here for one day. the government spent a lot of money getting us here. going toite possibly be told to get on a plane and go home. >> bill or whatever your name is, thank you for sharing your story from texas. our phone lines are open. #on your screen. -- the numbers are on your

screen. thomas says the gop is the kid that pulls the fire alarm to skip a test in school. stop demanding americans lose health care in order to have the government run. availablehis story online at politico.com, with a photograph of the speaker of the house, john boehner. he writes --

>> a senior aide spoke about the desire to retain the employer contribution for staff. full details online at

politico.com. on the republican line, good evening. >> good evening. not really am republican, but i am not also a democrat. >> that is ok. >> all i am concerned about -- i am getting pretty old. i was born back in the depression. we do not want to see this. we want it straightened out now. we want them to quit fighting like little babies. the president and john both, and harry reid. he needs to just shut up, all of them, and sit down and work out something together. this is ridiculous, for them to act like kids. i am sorry. i am from missouri, and you know what? you have got to show me. i think they better start.

bette next,o to democrats whine, florida. i are both inand our 80's, and our biggest concern this week and weeks before this is the fear i hear in the senior citizens that are calling you about the obama care. they actually are frightened of this. and it just is unbelievable to me, because brian lamb had a great interview on c-span. cosgrove, whooby is the ceo of cleveland clinic. he was marvelous. could you please see that they play that again? acause people have to be little educated. dr. cosgrove went on to say how the medical care and everything does need a change. he said, there will be changes in the obama care when it gets going. back and not sit

be so afraid that something is really going to hurt them, because it is not. it is just adding more help to other people. i do not think it is going to hurt senior citizens at all. we are not afraid, my husband and i. my husband is 80 six years old. i think that president obama is doing a great, great job for people that really need the help. that show, i thought, was really marvelous. dr. cosgrove is a wonderful, wonderful dog her. if that could be played over several times, maybe people would listen to it and gain something from it. >> thanks for watching. "q&a" airs every sunday. as you indicate, dr. cosgrove joined us this past sunday, the head of the cleveland clinic. way, this week, the first of two interviews with the former white house chief of

staff, who served in the bush administration. preston sent out this tweet. lee, who joined senator ted cruz last week on the senate floor for the 21 hour talk-athon that took place on the affordable care act, also spoke earlier today about the government shutdown. here is the utah republican. >> yesterday, when the president of the united states addressed the american people, he was very clear about what a shutdown would mean. he said, "office buildings would close. paychecks would be delayed. for seniors and veterans, women and children hamstrung.ould be business owners would see delays in capital, seeking infrastructure permits, or rebuilding after hurricane sandy. for our who sacrificed

country will find their support service unstaffed. tourists will find national parks and monuments, from yosemite to the smithsonian to the statue of liberty, immediately closed. and of course the communities and small businesses that rely on these national treasures for their livelihoods will be out of customers and out of luck here: --." out of luck -- out of luck ." i share the concerns about real people. , inlleague put it that way connection with a government shutdown. i want to focus our attention in the coming hours and days on these people. i think it is also important that we continue to focus as well on those who are already hurting, hurting for reasons that do not have to do with this shutdown. i would like to turn for a moment to people who are, and for a number of months have

been, already feeling the negative effects of another government policy that the president and his allies in congress staunchly defend. people are losing their health insurance. just a week ago friday, 20,000 people, employees of home depot, were informed that they would be losing their health insurance. ups is no longer going to provide health insurance for spouses of employees. the grocery store chain trader joe's has dropped health

coverage for part-time workers altogether. for everyone who has been furloughed by the government shutdown, the change, hopefully, will be temporary, lasting a few days or maybe a few hours, if the democrats decide to negotiate. for everyone who has lost a job, seen their hours cut, their wages reduced, or who no longer receives health insurance, the change could prove to be far more permanent. towe not have an obligation do something for those people? i think we do. let us look for the path forward. let us return to the president's concern about those who are hurt why a government shutdown. one positive and encouraging step was taken yesterday. yesterday, in response to action taken by the house of representatives late saturday night, ofate saturday course, the house of representatives passed a bill to ensure that all active-duty military personnel, the brave

men and women in uniform who , will continuey to get paid. yesterday, the senate took up that measure and passed it unanimously in a matter of minutes. in a seemingly effortless legislative act. i think we can do the exact same thing with a number of non- controversial spending bills that fund aspects of government that americans overwhelmingly weport and acknowledge that need, and that are completely unrelated to obamacare. other words, would involve setting up segmented continuing resolutions, appropriations measures that would keep the funding going at current levels to various areas thein government, including department of defense, the department of homeland security, ,ilitary construction, cjs

which includes the department of justice, the federal court nasa, and thei, national weather service, for example, and also the u.s. department of the interior, which includes our national parks. i mentioned national parks with special interests, because today, the first day of what we hope will be a short, quickly- resolved government shutdown, we have at least 2 honor flights coming in from around the country, ringing world war ii veterans, members of the greatest generation, to washington, d.c., who plans to visit the world war ii veterans memorial. a memorial designed specifically for them. if nothingrrive, changes between now and then, they will painfully discover what we have learned this morning, which is that those parts of the national mall have

been fenced off and barricaded. they will not be able to get him. they will not even be able to get very close. this is unfortunate. just as importantly, it is unnecessary. we must act today to resolve this. there is absolutely no reason why this non-controversial aspect of our federal government's operation should continue one more day, or even one more hour, for that matter, without being funded. this is an effort to compromise, an effort that is badly needed, an effort that comes in the wake of other efforts to compromise that have for the most part failed. hashouse of representatives tried three different times to avoid a shutdown, passing three different measures to make sure that our government would continue to be funded. reid and those who support him have rejected all

three plans, rejected all three offers to keep the government funded. they accuse republicans of playing games with obama care. in light of that, let us leave obama care for another day, and not hold the vast majority of government functions hostage, when the vast majority of government functions do not have anything to do with the implementation and enforcement of obama care. we did it yesterday. we did it, and it worked well. it was seamless. it was done with absolute unanimous consent. todid it with respect active-duty military pay yesterday. we can do it for veterans benefits, border security, national parks, and many other government agencies. we can keep government open. we can keep those aspects of our federal government funded. we can do so. we should do so. together, we will do so.

i look forward to having these discussions in the coming hours, to make sure we continue to work together as colleagues. we may not agree on everything, but in those areas where we should agree and in reality do agree, let us keep the government funded. click senator mike lee, republican of utah, earlier today on the senate floor. the president is in washington this week. on hisw, among the items agenda, a meeting in the joined by vice president joe biden with treasury secretary jack lew. the other deadline is raising the debt limit. the president talked about that today in the rose garden. and in a letter or three secretary lu sent to members of the defaultt month, of the federal government is a possibility. that is the next deadline. in light of the government shutdown, day two of the shutdown gets underway tomorrow.

meanwhile, this headline this evening from the washington post , as washington braces for a prolonged government shutdown. on our twitter page, there is this comment from one of our viewers. the next caller is rené, from south dakota, on the democratic line. >> i just wanted to say that i think it is really pathetic that the republicans continue to aca, rather than spending this precious time passing a clean cr. this is not the way to repeal the aca. also, this is the affordable care act, not the chief health

insurance act. people might be paying more. but look at what you get for it. if a loved one get cancer or catastrophic illness, you do not have to worry about losing your house and everything you work for your entire life. that is worth paying a little extra for. i know a lot of people have been complaining that they are paying more, but there are exceptions. you do not have to buy insurance if it costs more than eight percent of your monthly income. i just wanted to throw that out. i listened saturday. the republicans laughed and jeered when a shutdown was brought up, and made it pretty clear they thought government workers were worthless. now, they are hypocritical, changing their story, saying, we think they are important. >> i will stop you there. thanks for the call. a little bit of a breakup at the

end, but thank you. we are also getting your comments on facebook. this is from doug. we are also taking a poll on who people blame, whether it is republicans, democrats, or the white house. cast your ballot. a nonscientific hole, but what our viewers are thinking. on the republican line, lawrence is on the phone. good evening. thanks for taking my call. i do believe, as a conservative, we do need to assist the poor. harry reid andat

, because ofs senate king obama, has drawn the red line. refusing to force the issue with the president. i do not believe the house is going to have a chance, unless they take individual departments and pass cr's to fund them. otherwise, obama will get his way. go through this process, yes, we do need to support the poor, but this is not the way. you cannot have exemptions or waivers for business and other factions within the government. , havest, in my opinion everybody in the whole united states working together and working as one to make sure that

everybody has adequate health care and their needs are taken care of. >> it is the bottom of the hour. another 25 minutes with our calls and comments. we will hear from the president in just a minute. he spoke to reporters from the rose garden. americans benefiting from the affordable care act. a series of votes put forth by house republicans. put ind have at least place the opening of the government in a few key areas, with veterans, the operations in washington, d.c., and the national park service. because they were brought in over the suspension of the rules , not just a simple majority -- two dozen democrats voting with the republicans.

not enough for these three measures to pass in the house. even if they have passed, the senate has said they want a clean cr that wouldn't keep the government -- that would keep the government fully operational. even the white house said the plan put forth by republicans would face a presidential veto. another development today here in washington, with a number of world war ii veterans coming to town to visit the world war ii memorial. congressman steve king is probably having one of the best days he has ever had in washington.

matt fuller has the story available online. and a photograph of some of the barricades. steve hadley says this on our twitter page. shame is joining us, democrats line. eureka, kansas. good evening.

>> i got health insurance. obamacare, my dad says he has a deductible. i do not see how they can say that. cross,unded through blue blue shield. deductiblel has a before any doctor. deductible forn anything he needs taken care of. this obamacare stuff is not right. stuff,gives us the same and my dad is on disability. he should automatically get it. to wait on social security. >> how old is your father? >> how old are you, dad?

he just got disability this year. for three years. >> thanks for the call from kansas. you can also join the conversation on our facebook page, or send us a tweet. ofhutdown in the statue liberty. symbols in the u.s., shutdown due to the government closing down today. mary is joining us from dayton, ohio. go ahead. >> i wish everybody would leave obama alone about it, because it is the republicans wanting to stand up big and tall. they are the ones causing the chaos. why don't they take a furlough on their paychecks? why don't they take a furlough and sit on their heels? why should they get paid when they are not even there?

me that one. >> thanks for the call. stephanie makes this point. our next call is mike, joining us on the republican line from wyoming. mike, cheyenne, wyoming. any corporation in the united states that has a shutdown, it immediately issues layoff notices. get in athe unions disagreement with management, management immediately issues layoff notices. i would like to know how many of our senators and congressmen, republicans and democrats, and those on the president's staff, have been issued layoff notices. the government is shutdown.

therefore, there is no need for people like the guy that came up and took the whatever they call that the senators are using to display. who is going to make the coffee in the morning? they have shut the government down. fueloff notice due to the cost and the world economy. if we are the richest nation in the world, where in the world do we borrow money from? i would really like to know that. we are the richest nation in the world. who has got it? if we are not the richest nation in the world, they ought to be telling us. >> all of the events that have been happening over the last

couple of days have been posted on our website. of c-span's video library. front and center, the government shutdown continues, including the impact in washington and around the country. stories oning your facebook as well. over 6500 of you so far have .osted on our facebook page john brown says, i blame all of them, but mostly obama and the democrats. they showed this health scam down our throats.

brian from university park, pennsylvania, democrats line. good evening. >> i am a student at penn state. of your previous colors -- who has the money? of ournd japan are two largest creditors. we owe them massive amounts of money. if china asked for 10% of the money we owed them, we would be in a world of trouble. a lot of people seem to have very short memories on the operational details of how the republican party works. they have a tendency to do one thing and then vacillate on their position. obama introduced several years ago, during the first year of his presidency, a single-payer

health coverage plan. this is a concessional plan, basically drawn up by republicans. all of the details, you recall from three or four years ago, they kept wanting to change, and this is the plan that emerged. they were fine with the changes until it seemed it would be enacted. now that it is being enacted, there is a problem. it kills jobs? what about in 2005, when george bush decided to give a tax holiday to all the major corporations that had tax shelters abroad? dollars,of billions of and income that is sheltered in offshore accounts. >> thanks for the call. appreciate your comments. you will also see archival c- span video, including congressman john boehner, and they look back on what happened with the last government 1995, a, back in

shutdown that collectively lasted about 21 days, that brought bill clinton and newt gingrich together on some other budget. andcan see speaker boehner politico using video from the c- span video library. and that looks like another congressman who spoke out on the government shutdown in the 1980's. >> thank you for taking my call. i am really frustrated right now with what i am seeing in congress. it is a missed opportunity for the republican side to really say, we are spending more money than we are making. let us cut our spending. i understand the argument. it is a great argument that can be made. argument, having that we are arguing over the affordable care act, and whether that should be a law that stays intact or not. i do not think this is the venue

for that. we are talking about a budget that keeps the government open for business. i do not think it is fair that they are holding the government down because they do not like this particular law. it is not the entire republican side. it is mostly just the leadership side, i think. looming, ibt crisis worried that things will continue to be held ransom on the debt crisis as well. congress needs to move forward and say, the affordable care act is not worth not passing a budget. we need to pass our budget. then we can have real spending talks and tackle the real issue of the government overspending. there may be some on the democrats who are like, we can cut some tax as well. but we need to come together on the spending and not continue with the affordable care act, which was already settled

through the house and senate previously. >> thanks for the call. among the stories from the washington times this morning, david moyer saying the president did not facilitate a shutdown. that was based on the comments of white house secretary jay carney in a briefing. here is more from the president as he spoke to reporters from the rose garden earlier in the afternoon. >> the shutdown is not about deficits and budgets. rolling back our efforts to provide health insurance to folks who do not have it. it is all about rolling back the affordable care act. this, more than anything else, seems to be what the republican party stands for these days. that one is strange

party would make keeping people uninsured the centerpiece of their agenda. but that apparently is what it is. thats stranger still is shutting down our government does not accomplish their stated goal. the affordable care act is a law that passed the house. it passed the senate. the supreme court ruled a constitutional. it was a central issue in last year's election. it is settled, and it is here to stay. and because of its funding sources, it is not impacted by a government shutdown. with meericans are here today because even though the government is closed, a big part of the affordable care act is now open for business. for them and millions like them, this is a historic day for a good reason. it has been a long time coming. americans forced to go without insurance can now visit healt

enroll inand affordable coverage. that starts today. people will have six months to sign up. over the next six months, people will have the opportunity, in many cases for the first time in their lives, to get affordable coverage that they desperately need. >> the president speaking from the rose garden at the white house. those individuals behind him, according to the white house, people directly benefiting from the affordable care act. an early look at tomorrow's front page of the new york times . some delays. the white house and the department of health and human services saying as many as 8 million people logging on, try to sign up for exchanges, but so far unable to do so. below that is this story -- the house leadership outflanked by a group of conservatives.

the heritage organization, led by former senator jim demint, and his role in trying to force this government shutdown. one of our viewers says this. jack is joining us from the bronx in new york. what is on your mind this evening? >> a few years back, when president obama was elected, some guy named rush limbaugh let us do the tv, best to undermine his presidency. he declared war on the president of the united states of america, elected by the people. by the people. remember, u.s. senator

patrick moynihan, he told all the people that the money that was used for the social security benefit was being used to fight wars. that is the same social security or entitlements that the republicans would like to get rid of. let us see how the republicans act on taxes. nobody has to pay tax if i don't. let's shut down the government, and then we do not have to pay any taxes. if we do not have government, we do not have to pay taxes. what can i say? that is my opinion. >> thanks for the call. from the style section of the washington post, and orderly

shutdown. set your out of office e-mail and do not forget to water the plants. navy personnel are uncertain when they will return. the story from the style section on what it is like for employees directly impacted by the government shutdown today. for independence. good evening. thehey are talking about shutdown and everything like that. as i understand the constitution, the president is supposed to be the administrator of the laws. he has not got the right to change the laws or waiver from the laws. he can get a one-year extension on big government. that is changing the law. he does not got the authority. his executive power only goes so far. i do not see where he has really

got executive powers, as far as that goes. the congress has got control of the purse. they keep the president in check. i really think it has to be the democrats doing this, because i do not see where it is right for them to get exemptions, and we are not getting exemptions, you know? they are no better than we are. >> ok. thanks for the call. a long shutdown feared. tina says -- mary, joining us from wisconsin, republican line. >> good evening. i totally agree with the gentleman before me. as far as i am concerned, our president and our congress are both at fault in shutting down

the government. and i do not believe that the president should have the right, and i do not know if he does, to say, which he said himself, this health-care bill is the law of the land. then why has he given exemptions to certain people, including , thatss and other people this law does not apply to all of our citizens? thank you very much. jerry is next, lewisburg, tennessee. how are you doing? >> not bad. my name is jerry. and i agree with the two that was just talking. i am a democrat. sorry, i cannot agree with the obamacare. all cut that stuff in

places to a republican -- get it out. get everything together. >> thanks for the call. piece at go back to a the top of the hour. democraticom the leader, harry reid, who made reference to a republican from virginia. he is one of about a dozen house republicans who want the house to put up a clean funding bill without any attachments. 17 republicans are needed, along with all the democrats, to cobble together the votes to pass a clean continuing resolution. but the piece begins with these words.

about a dozen names mentioned in this piece if you want to check it out. we will continue the conversation tomorrow morning on washington journal, beginning at 7:00 eastern time. bee members of congress will joining us, including congressman jim hines, a democrat from connecticut, following -- followed by a michigan rep but what can who will be joining us at about 8:30 eastern time. on wednesday, our spotlight on magazines will focus on the shutdown, with a washington post reporter for "the nation" magazine. on c-span radio, heard coast-to-coast. take you back to the floor from early in the day, as the house continued its debate on the affordable care act, house republicans tried to come

up with another way to keep at least arts of the government- funded. those efforts failed, not getting the necessary majority of the house of representatives. remember, we are back live tomorrow morning with the washington journal. >> for purposes, the gentleman from texas seek recognition. >> the gentleman from texas and the gentleman from georgia each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. >> mr. speaker, i would ask unanimous consent that all leaders would have five days in which to revise and extend their

remarks, and to include extraneous materials, and that i may include tabular material on the same. >> without objection, so ordered. >> i would yield myself such time as i may consume. throughout human history, whenever there has been disagreement in ages past, that has been settled with armed conflict. in civilized world, we settled those disputes in an amicable way, under the law. we are surrounded by images of great lawmakers from throughout human history. it is, i think, incumbent upon us as lawmakers, as civilized human beings, to use common courtesy and common sense to find areas of agreement, and set those aside, get those behind us, and move on to those areas it iswe have -- where more difficult to find agreement.

the house of representatives, the constitutional conservative majority in the house, has attempted to do so many times here over the last several weeks. when it comes to funding the government, the house of representatives has sought to do so, and in fact has done our job in the first week of june. the house of representatives passed legislation to fully fund the department of defense. the first week of june, the house of representatives passed legislation to fully fund our department of veterans affairs and military requirements for men and women of crown the world. we have even passed an appropriations bill to fund the departments of the government that are responsible to the department of energy, the department of water. that was passed out of the house this summer and sent to the senate. it is common courtesy and common

sense that where you have a disagreement, you sit down and work it out. have serious disagreements, you find those areas where you can, both sides, agreed there is common ground, and put those behind us. what better place to start, mr. speaker, then with the veterans who have served our nation in defense of our freedom, who make it possible for us to enjoy the prosperity, the liberty, and passed onto to us by our ancestors, and it is a real privilege for me to serve with my good friend from georgia, mr. bishop, and my colleagues on this subcommittee, appropriating funds for the operation of veterans affairs and military construction, to be sure our veterans receive everything they have earned for the sacrifices they made on behalf of this nation. we brought the bill to the floor today as an obvious area of agreement in support of our notrans, to ensure that

only are there health benefits taken care of, which under current law they are a year in advance -- we are here today to ensure an absolutely guarantee that there is no interruption in the veterans who are applying for disability compensation. we have had a terrible backlog in disability claims. the committee has worked together arm in arm in a bipartisan way to make sure it is fully funded, and included in our bill sent to the senate the first week of june link which that would ensure the veterans lives up to their own deadlines on handling those disability claims. the legislation before us would also ensure that veterans receive on-time time compensation for their pensions, for their post-nine/11 education training, and employment assistance.

a common courtesy, common sense compels us, to do what is right by our veterans, to find those areas of agreement. we bring this bill to the floor today, mr. speaker, in order to ensure these veterans are fully protected. have a transition into civilian life that is as th shutdo calle funding through december 15th disability claims and provide $2.5 billion to make at the claimsting backlock. i would reserve the balance of my time and look forward to from my colleague from geor mr. bishop. > gentleman from georgia is

recognized. >> mr. speaker, this i believe a fraud. this is just a part of the game been played to justify government shut. $2. billion rate of is the same amount of the bill earlier this summer which passed 421-4. this is the same funding request levelled by the administration for t does not do anything discretionaryv.a. accounts. these two programs are vital to the claims process yet they're not included. the medical research account not included. construction not included.

secretary he including the board of veteran 4 thirty-eight million not included. he v.a. 1 sixteen million not included. not included. state veteran homes and state cemeteries not included. on june 4th we passed a full complete bill a 421-4.san bill, goes on to if this become law which i doubt that it ill, the majority of the federal government will still be shut down. or example, the department of defense will not have the training and duct training exercises

including large scale training rotations depend on equipment in order and ing supplies needed to support the sailors and airman. under this bill payment would be 4,000 weather orecasters and other weather service employees and other extreme weather events. employees to protect us. mr. speaker, as members of ongress, we don't have the luxury to pick and choose which part of the federal government fund.nt to it's our responsibility under the constitution to fund the federal government. let me repeat, the entire government. so instead of playing games, let the house of representatives clean senate c.r. and shutdown quickly.

i'm disappointed. disgusted.ight i truly recent the way that those on the other side of the are trying to use veterans cynical game of government shutdown. all we have to do is pass a clean c.r. this budge it should not be a democrat c.r. should not be a republican c.r., it should be an american of us.r all i urge we defeat this effort and adapt a full, clean c.r. and with that i reserve the balance of my time. gentleman from texas is recognized. >> it's my privilege to yield from the gentleman of kentucky mr. rogers. >> gentleman from kentucky is recognized. >> thank you mr. speaker and mr. chairman for yielding me this time. in support of this legislation and in support of

to provide our nation's veterans with the benefits they've earned for their service and sacrifices. and i'm shocked to hear the -- friends on the other side of who are unwilling to help our veterans receive the they have earned in defense of our nation. commitment wavering to this nation, our veterans to receive consistent quality service and disability benefits. in these services for our heros is a failure on our as members ur jobs of congress. i'd like to remind the house language in this bill was essentially included in the contending resolution i nitially offered several weeks

ago. for that reason as well as my dedication to our veterans i'm endorse this bill today. the legislation before us today funding to process and claims and bility services at the department of those who airs for serve in our armed forces at the current annual rate of $82 billion. the funding will last until or until we enact ra races.r of prop bill will continue to move the ball down the field closer ultimate goal of funding government. conversations must continue on how we as an entire congress can come to an agreement that funds every agency and department and

and reopens tdown the government. that's why i was so disappointed this morning when the u.s. senate declared that they didn't ant to meet with us to talk about how to end this shutdown. we offered to sit down and talk conference committedty. 9:30 said no way. we don't want to talk to you. what congress s was all about was working out differences across from this body to the senate. but apparently i'm wrong. support colleagues to ur veterans and make the next step toward ending this unnecessary government shutdown today.ss this bill i yield back kentucky an from yields back. >> at this time i'm delighted to ield two minutes to the distinguished ranking member of committee, the

gentleman from new york. >> recognized for two minutes. in opposition to the republican shutdown. funding for support our veterans. that, mr. way to do distinguished chairman knows is to fulfill our constitutional responsibility, the hard decisions and pass appropriations bills. mr. speaker, as the chairman knows, the house already passed full year funding bill for by a vote of ne 421-4. our peaker, as knows, ished chairman that bill is $6.2 billion more than today's bill, so our as a result of this to down process, are going

have their funds cut $6.2 billion. need to pass a bill that elps them and funds other critical initiatives. our peaker, it's distinguished chairman knows, we and pass these bills and prevent children from being part of clinical trials. i just got an e-mail from national llins at the institute that helps nearly quarters of the staff with furloughs and 200 patients who admitted to the n. i.h. clinical trials each week will be turned away. 30 children, about most of them cancer patients. this is not the only place. it funds the transportation. that and we can go on and on. we could do this because there

process in place. we don't need to shut tkoufpb new overnment and invents ways to pass these appropriation bills. funding one budget item at a time while hundreds of thousands are on furlough and losing pay is no way to fulfill ur constitutional responsibility. >> gentleman's time is expired. we're considering than a nothing more republican employ and would not republicans had not been so reckless throughout he process forcing us into a showdown. we could end the republican the majority if would allow a vote which the funding levels that the republicans support and the be signed by president. the house majority apparently from the the heat

fire they lit, so now they put political s reckless attempt to shift blame. >> gentleman from georgia reserves. gentleman from texas is recognized. >> mr. speaker, i think it's important to point out that as i disagreement ny you finds those areas where you are in agreement and set those aside. agreement and make sure you get the most important things done first and set them aside. the house and nature senate have done that. has te that our military been paid. legislation to fully fund pay by our military was passed unanimous senate and out of this house. the house has done its job in our veterans and passing this legislation the first week of june and funding the defense in the first week of skwraoufpblt we have done our part. we face today is a deliberate result of the senate's refusal to take action legislation that we sent them over 90 days ago. we're bringing

this bill forward because this is one area we can all agree on. veterans have earned our help and deserve it and it's our uty to pass it as quickly as possible to ensure no interruption in the services that they have earned. this time it's my privilege to yield three minutes from the gentleman from mississippi. mississippi isom recognized for three minutes. you, mr. speaker. i want to thank the gentleman yielding time but also thank him for his eadership on behalf of veterans. you know, the house and the senate have already passed a pay for our would troops in the middle of this government shutdown and it's that we do this. this morning i had the privilege 91 veterans from all over the state of in our ppi who were nation's capitol as part of an honor flight. arrived at the world war

i memorial we found the entrance was blocked because of the government shutdown. or these heros of the greatest generation those men who stormed normandy facing sawan machine gun nests and iwa jima nds die on and even though they're confined to a wheelchair, it was my privilege to meet with them at that's been built in their honor. but the real way that our nation tribute and thanks them for their service is for us to keep commitment to them, our commitment in the form of v.a. care benefits, disability benefits. not fail those who has sacrificed so much for our ensure thatiling to

our veterans are provided the benefits and services they have earned. that's why i rise in support of this bill. our obligation to our troops over ot end when a war is and we must ensure our military men and woman are provided with benefits they e after both during and their service. e have all agreed to unanimously fund this generation's military. the s also agree to fund previous generation. i yield back. gentleman from mississippi yields back the balance of his time. >> i'm delighted to yield to the the gentleman from south carolina. time? how much >> two minutes. >> gentleman is recognized from minutes. lina for two >> thank my friend for yielding me this time. mr. speaker, this bill we're

to vote on is a necessary disingenuous. my congressional district is populated by veterans whose service greatly appreciated. i came to this floor june 4th withhaouz is a kali joined 420 other members of the body to them at obligations to higher levels than are included in this legislation. last night the tea party republicans shut down the overnment because they refused to accept the verdict of the american people in last year's elections. shut down our government ver implementations of settled law. 72% ition that shows that of the american people oppose. patriotic using our eros as pawns in their

political gain. veterans should not have to choose between having their and their essed grandchildren educated. their family members should not -- should be able to enjoy heir he oh receive their medical treatments and enjoy and enjoy our national resources. approach is the tea party's plan. hey want to pick and choose winners and losers and only fund the priorities that they lack. that's not how our government works. as one of my favorite in 1860,ns stated back lincoln, your ham purpose is plainly stated is hat you will destroy the government unless you be allowed the nstrue and enforce constitution as you please on all points in dispute. you will rule or ruin in all

events. should end this recklessness tonight. reopen ourt this and like honorable men and women. >> gentleman from texas is recognized. speaker, i point out the only people who will be holding veteran hostage would be no.e who voted it's my privilege at this time to the two minutes gentleman from florida mr. miller who is chairman of the committee. ns >> i thank the chairman for yielding. let me explain why this bill is necessary. weekend the administration revised an unusual shut down ontingency plan with the following statement relate to the effect of prolonged shut

on v.a. d have it can continue to process claims beneficiaries will continue to receive their payments. however, those benefits are provided through appropriated will ory funding and that run out by the end of october. t this point v.a. will be unable to make any payments end kwroet. deal ons means absent a a c.r. and we have anxiously awaited the senate to do over there, negotiate with the house, payments to eterans and their survivors that are due in november for a variety of benefits that have veteran ed by that through honorable service may be in skwrep part i did. a suspension of over a billion dollars a month i.tuition payments to early 1 million veterans and dependants and subsistence allowance to over $66,000 in

rehabilitation and ware payments to low income time veterans with incomes that poverty above the level. mr. speaker, this must never allowed to happen. even more veterans should not have to worry about something occurring. this bill would immediately remove any doubt from their that the dysfunction that's here in washington would jeopardize their earned benefits. these are america's heros who have already gone above and beyond the call of beauoo duty. the last thing they deserve is them inuntry to abandon their time of need. this bill will avoid all the events i my ioned and i urge colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and back.

>> gentleman's time expired. gentleman from georgia is recognized. i'm delighted to yield two minutes to the ranking member of the gentleman from carolina. >> gentleman from north carolina is recognized for two minutes. speaker, the american people have had enough of this cynical attempt to shift blame tea party shut down. of course we want the american access to our national parks and i wish our epublican colleagues thought a little bit more about that world war ii memorial before doing what they did last night. want the d.c. to rnment to continue function. of course we want the veterans resume its on to operations for those who have orn this country's uniform

although we do not like seeing -- to score used as political points. and what about the thousands of defense civilians who were told not come into work today including those in my district. what about those e.p. a. cientists in the research triangle who sent the day on a research project or the firefighters across the nation who depends on fema to keep their communities afe and what about the agricultural departments whose paychecks are running out or the unc or hers at duke and those desperately ill people who be cutout n. i.h. clinical trials. the american people deserve a government that works for everybody. senates pass a bill that would pass this house easily if would ublican leadership

simply allow it to receive a vote. o let's dispense with this political theatre. let's get back to the basics. open, the government paying the country's bills and comprehensive budget plan that lifts revives our and economy and reduces our deficit. he first step is to pass a clean continuing resolution. > mr. speaker. emotion.h great first of all we're right in the midst of a government shutdown and this is a terrible time. all, this is my greatest hero's birthday, my

birthday, october 1st. my dad passed away about five ago. he was part of the greatest he fought bravely in new guinea during world war ii and represented his country proudly. a captain in is the army. army ranger who fought proudly in afghanistan. them that i rise today the other side says they want to support these things but they don't. why? it's political posturing. somehow hurt their ability to try to extract politically. can live in ituent don't political rhetoric land. let's be really clear.

ou have an opportunity on the other side of the aisle to fund the veteran programs. accountable for that. you vote no, that's where the rubber meets the road. be responsible for denying them these benefits. mr. there is an member in this house that does not respect and upport the veterans of this country. the gentleman who just spoke talked about preventing pain. we want to do is prevent veterans but to

teachersto families to to edical professionals, farmers to all those who every rely on the federal operation. to be in choosing eal, not between this and that between losers.ers and the why are we at this place? is the ranking member this have committee we're too place representing a bill that cuts $6 billion from the bill you talked about that i voted for.nd you mr. speaker, i speak of course of the ranking member, the chairman. becauseker, we are here visited that has been

not by the senate, the senate that didn'tnly c.r. keeping ison pill and government operating for the american people. body that's passed a bill that will do that that pill include a poison that you knew the other side could not take and would not said he the president would not sign, you continued to loss me to grips with the election. you talked about going to minutes to t five 12:00 last night and had six onths to go to conference, six months, mr. speaker. the republicans have had to rtunity of going conference. six months!

months and no action. why we have thgridlock because you refuse to go as you the regular order to work out an agreement between the senate and the house. so we find ourselves when we time.more to work together to get to compromise and pass bills.iation i don't know that i've seen on suspensionbill before. mr. speaker, this is the wrong it's the wrong time. we ought to pass a c.r. and keep operating for the american people and i yield back the balance of my time. pplause] >> there is only one question peace of sure their

mind for themselves, their families and thur survivors that of the 't miss a moment benefits that they so rightly earned. privilege e it's my to yield one minute from the minnesota.rom to the terans woke up new that's the united states government shut down. government that they served risked their lives for could further delay the disability claims process. r. speaker, this simply isn't fair. now, as the house has offered our times i might add plans to keep the government open, the senate continues to reject our shutting insists on government. a sol hraougs rd

it's vital that those who wrist a risk it all. i treated veterans at the v.a. hospital. i don't know how any member in body could think for even one minute that we could turn our service members. i urge my colleagues to support honoring, our promise to the veterans act. my time. ck knows, a speaker number of congress have asked to senate the clean c.r.. i want to understand the rule. is that if the democratic leader and the republican leader both give consent to that, then that bill would come before the body

now. is that correct? it must receive clearance from both sides. > if those democrats and republicans were to agree before this house it would come up for is that correct? the chair would entertain a if prior ly appropriate authorization had been given. prior you say appropriate approval, do you mean approval from the and the n leader democratic leader? leadership from both sides of the aisle. with respect to the current tatus that the clean c.r., if this body were to take it up and pass that bill, would that bill or would the senate

that bill go directly to the president? bill is not currently pending and so the gentleman's appropriate at this time. inquiry.rliamently if they were to give their consent as you indicated to ring that bill before the body and this body adopted that bill guy oted for it would that to the president? the gentleman request does not relate to the current bill and thebefore the house chair will not give an advising is n opinion when the bill not relevant. >> mr. speaker, i have a try inquiry. pass the ll were to house would this bill go directly to the president or go to the bill

senate? all would go to the senate >> this bill we're discussing would go to the senate. that we're discussing. >> yes > thank you very much, mr. speaker. >> gentleman from georgia is recognized. inquiry. entary >> new york is recognize dz. >> is it the chair's ruling that you cannot rule whether or not a esolution that's an agreed by the house and the senate does thato to the president, is the speaker's ruling? that you cannot give us an to that basic parliamentary question? the chair will only respond requests that relate directly to the current proceedings.

current proceedings? concurrent a resolution and involves the what is beforews this house. s the speaker saying from a arliamentary point of view we can't agree? pending legislation is h. j.res 72. >> gentleman from georgia is recognized. >> i yield back. > my friend knows a better answer than that. >> gentleman from georgia is recognized. thank you very much. at this time i'm delighted to lady two minutes to the from minnesota who is under the appropriations.

>> gentlewoman from minnesota is recognized for two minutes. speaker.you mr. rise today to address the house of representatives as a daughter of a world war ii who is a veteran disabled, a veteran who watched what his ully government, what this body and the senate and the president law that would affect his benefits, our family's benefits. rise today to oppose this selecting can scheme agencies and museums and funds federal rest of the government languishes in a shut down is simply irresponsible. is making a esperate attempt to create distractions so they're not held accountsable for their actions. ongress needs to fund the entire federal government with a clean continuing resolution and reckless and

unnecessary g.o.p. or should i party shutdown. with that i yield back. >> gentleman from georgia texas is nd recognized. >> the only question before the we'll unnight r and fund the veterans that has served the nation. to the gentleman rom michigan a veteran of vietnam and iraq. >> gentleman from michigan is recognized for two minutes. mr. ank you very much speaker and thank you mr. chairman. reminded just how our nation is made up of the people. just a few rnment hours ago dozens of world war ii act of civil disobedience denied the closer monument on the washington mall. mr. speaker, i believe that this

a learning ld be experience for both everyone in this chamber and the people of country. it allows us to determine what s essential and what isn't and what government should do and what it shouldn't. when i first arrived here in i wrote an article in my local newspaper laying out budget reforms. them was to make every department justify its spending on the floor of the house. the of veterans affairs can do that. currently the v.a. is not shut is soonpletely but time coming where former service members will not be able to benefits they earned fighting to defend you're freedom. of the democratic senate inability to comprise, services will be impacted if we don't do thing.ht in the military we don't leave people behind in the attlefield, we shouldn't do that at home either. surely my friends on the other side of the aisle do not believe

that the democratic senate hould hold our veterans hospitalage as we negotiate. the people helped by the v.a. are american people. not leave them behind. i urge my colleagues to pass important legislation. i yield back my time. > gentleman from texas reserves. statement from gentleman from texas has two minutes remaining nd gentleman from georgia has six and a half. >> at this time i am delighted yield to the chairman of the -- the ranking member of the committee, the gentleman from maryland. >> for how long? minutes. >> gentleman from maryland is recognized for two minutes. to help veterans up the we should take senate passed bill which keeps our government open for the programs thatunds help their children and

like education, like scientific research at the health instatutes of and as we heard from the speaker, if we take that bill up it will be on the president's desk tonight and he whereas this bill can go back to the senate. why aren't we doing that. washing ported in the post since the republicans want government now plan b.going for o again, senator cruz is calling the shots here in the house of representatives. ere's what is particularly strange and cynical. ur veterans are being used as props here. but i don't think the american people understand that if we are tonight for .r. veterans it's actually a higher level of funding by billions of for the veterans than the bill before us today.

can you say you want to help veterans by sending the senate money for ess veterans instead of sending immediately the president a bill dollars for of veterans. this cuts the amount that this for for veterans in june. t cuts it for billions of dollars. every member of this house who veterans une on that appropriations bill who votes on this is voting for a cut from houses provided for veterans earlier this year. it represents a cut compared to the continuing resolution we could send tonight to the resident's desk and have him sign it. so, yes, in you really want to should take upou the senate bill and send to the done tonight at a level billions of dollars higher. our veterans and et's help tonight.

>> this time i yield one minute from tkebgsz n texas. >> thank the gentleman from houston. mr. speaker, last night we voted go to con fringference with th refused to nd they appoint. his afternoon we brought three bills on the suspension cal end tore open the national parks and the district columbia the fund our eserves and veterans. they need to come to the floor thirds vote. we can't pass these bills if my friends on the minority side vote for them and i would point out on the district of columbia the last time the district of columbia voted for a republican

his name was abraham lincoln in 1864. we need to pass these bills. help. just trying to i would point out that being the mean youparty does not have to be automatically the opposition party. let's do what makes sense, what's the right thing to do, for the veterans bill and other two bills on suspension. if our t pass them friends on the minority side some of them don't vote on these bills. >> how muches remain something >> gentleman has one minute remaining. gentleman from has four and a half minutes remaining. i reserve. this time i'd like to ield one and a half minutes to texas. >> >> gentleman from texas a half ed for one and minutes. thank you, mr. speaker.

story many n told a years ago about a little boy who anduntered a pile of manure was excited because he thought there might be a pony in there somewhere and the truth is that people across the pony.y are looking for a so many people understand across the board that this isn't really bout veterans or parks or the washington, d.c. budget, it's a fight over obamacare and whether it gets funded or not. that has had some texas thing votes in the house and in the u.s. house of representatives. and i would also tell you that i spent my day talking to eople on the phone, veterans employed with the federal government tphplt san antonio worried single dad about how he pays his bills and retired staff sergeant with the

story. two people who are very interesting. one who told me straight up, he san tea party member in antonio texas and said if you have a fight about obamacare separate and apart from keeping the doors of government open. and woman in texas who told me the same thing. he best statement that i have had came from an air forceman -- 23rdrman who serves in the district who wrote me this. and i many others appreciate the gratitude expressed in times like these we have become weary same.e whatever the actions are our national leaders -- whenever the national leaders have a negative impact on us as government employees what seems over theecome the norm last years we hear the same rhetoric. hear how ant to unappreciate our leaders are. we want them to show our through deeds passing a fiscally sound budget.

> george wrae serves and gentleman from texas is recognized. entleman from georgia is recognized. >> at this time i am pleased to a half minutes to the strong eloquent advocate for gentleman from georgia, mr. davis scott. ladies and gentlemen of america don't be fooled by what are doing cans tonight. just 19 hours ago they closed this government. they closed down the government on the veterans. closed down the government on d.c. hey closed down the government on those who serve our parks. many of them when they left here ago were high-fiving and celebrating, we closeder down. down and now they're here. hey're here today with this hypocritical and deceitful act that they want to do something

the veterans and to use these veterans, ladies and nothing but as is fig leaf, a fig leaf to hide the republican t this party did last night and to use veterans and talking about a weeks to be or 12 able to send $5.2 million and we k you done something, have 21 veterans committing every day, where are you talking about that? alone we had four. we need to treat our veterans with the respect that they by making sure that we a s that full budget, bring clear c.d. and lift up the american people and treat them respect. don't pick one or the other and vote down this fig leaf of republican party

in the nting here today resolution. >> gentleman from texas is recognized. >> if i inquire how much time we ave remaining >> gentleman from texas has one minute remaining and georgia has a half >> i'll reserve >> gentleman from texas reserves. > gentleman from georgia reserves delighted to the democratic leader and strong government, this the leader miss nancy pel lowsy from california. you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman for yielding. thank him for his great service to our country for his leadership on behalf of our veterans. they are precious to us. they make us the home of the and the land of the free. we couldn't be who we are as a service and t the sacrifice of our veterans and of families.

ranking member i thank you for in the icipation meetings that we have on a regular basis with the organizations where so many of give us their help ties as how we can them whether it was the veterans funding, a rward long list of concurrent receipt, issues that we talk about there and the backlog and the rest. meetings, almost every time we meet, at the beginning the end, we always practically from a prayerful way kwroet what we say on the battlefield, military says, on battlefield we leave no and we say and no they come home we leave veteran behind. the gentleman has said we have that rpose here today and

is to unite and support our veterans. do we support our veterans when behind? their families battle and go to are willing to go to battle to fight for our country and for values, for our families, or their well being, for our freedo freedoms. but if we cut -- and those just veterans. they're fathers and mother's and auntses and they're uncles and members of families. hey want the best for their children and the grandchildren. some surprise you sadly of them receive food stamps. on of them receive meals wheels. all of them, again, want a country.ture for our so we're not uniting to support

do what ans when we we're doing here today. they would want us to support they were fighting to defend, ability of our country great and that greatness well from the health and being of the american people in addition to our military might we would define our strength. from listening to them they would too. i listened with interest to how people identified with their brothers in the army. battle ncle died at the has been ge and that part of the great pride. and my father's brother was world war ii. this memorial means a lot to all of us. anyone we didn't know and even if we didn't have someone in the family, it's really important to us. so we have to think of the

our actions of when we shurt down government we can't say, oh, we're not because g our veterans they can't go to the world war ii memorial. that's what is cutting down is, shutting much of whether a they fought for, that's we e tribute paid to them. let's not leave our veterans behind by leaving their grandchildren, their families, what they need. this bill is billions of dollars ess than what over 420 members this have house passed in june. e're all there for our veterans. that.s no question about nobody questions the commitment gratitude have, the that we have the appreciation, we have our that veterans on. but we leave them behind when we

that they d all fought for. a leave them mind when we put bill on the floor that's billions of dollars less than we support together to just a few months ago. don't exploit them and don't use them. them too much. on the battlefield we leave no soldier behind. and when they come home, we all no veteran behind and that they know and love. with that i yield back the of my time. >> gentleman from georgia is for 30 seconds. you very much. we live in the greatest country on the face of the earth. enjoy freedoms that no -- we enjoy no place else like in america. but freedom is not free. freedoms we enjoy were

bought with a price and that was woman who e men and sacrificed and i am very, very that our onight behind thewould hide garment of sacrifice of those c.r. ns and put forth a that does not fund as the does, the . discretionary budget fully the fully but kr et c.r. would not. let's not allow them to hide our d the sacrifice of veterans. >> gentleman from texas is recognized. you, mr. speaker. it's my privilege to yield our to the g minute are .ntleman from arkansas,

/* >> this is why america has always cherished our veteran service. and his first on days as president demanded -- >> house is not in order. in order. >> gentleman is correct. the house has to be in order. be in order. >> gentleman is recognized. washington one of the most requests he made to the our ess after he honor veterans abraham lincoln who pre the blood 80iest war dedicated two speeches to honoring our veterans. long s something that is united our parties on both sides of the aisle. that is why today we should continue this commit.. e should ensure that the veterans who have been calling my office and your offices and

our offices don't have to face the kind of confusion that they do now because they aren't ure about what the veterans affairs department can do for them. we have our differences about levels andnd funding many other matters but let us for o veterans and appeal to the better angels of our nature support and honor their service. thank you. expired.is >> it began when the senate oted to kill the latest house federal o fund the government. harry reid ell and spoke for about a half hour. well, mr. president, in correct meders if i'm wrong finally have their government shut down that

no one seems to want but them. we have order in the chamber. >> the senator is correct. will be in order. > house republicans work late into the night this weekend to keep the government open and democrats drag their feet literally for days. hey refused to pass anything and news reports suggest that the majority leader was working block any scenes to bipartisan negotiations from taking place. doing essentially nothing all weekend but obstruct with democrats left to go, voted again and again to reject legislation. every piece of legislation the house set over would have kept government from shut you go down, every single one of them. of a ne represented more

compromise than the last and get his, last night senate democrats went so far as reject two lation under conditions, families get the same one year relief as employers and that congress has follow the same rules on obamacare exchanges as their constituent. that's how extreme the democratic position is. even accept basic airness as a principal under obamacare. and now today they've gone even further and now said they won't and work to sit down out differences. they won't even talk about it. just voted ly against working out a compromise. opposed to mpletely negotiation or compromise on a law that's killing jobs and driving p premiums and people out of the health care and they already have like. and they don't even wants to talk about it. so we know the democrats who

down the government will yell and point fingers and particular ted that routine and they'll say it was the mean old republicans or the or fox news or maybe even george w. bush. they shut down the government the ow they're praying american people will think somebody else is responsible. they're doing this because they government shut down than doing anything to people fromamerican the consequences of obamacare. despite the stories we see every single day about the pain this law is causing all of our constituent. i'll say this, i appreciate yesterday's by part den action that members defending us will often time. the brave men and woman deserve no less. but now we need to do the same rest of the american people. he house regulation has been perfectly reasonable and didn't have everything republicans wanted. have everything

democrats wanted, but it represented compromise and will of the american people who don't want a government shut down and who brakes on the obamacare. good folks who just think the bit of aass deserves a break. enate democrats could have passed any one of those compromises and oh good folks who just think the middle class deserves a bit of a break. senate democrats could have passed any one of those compromises and averted this mess. instead, they chose to shut down the government. it is past time for some democrats to listen to the american people. the house has already done its job to fund the government, again and again and again. i know the democrats who run washington want to extract as many political points as they can from this manufactured shutdown, but they owe our country more than that. they need to understand obamacare is not ready for prime time, not ready for prime time.

their stubborn refusal to discuss temporary relief for the middle class is a staggering act of political arrogance. so this morning, i am calling on democrats who run the senate to sit down with the house and negotiate, come to a reasonable solution that cancels the shutdown and passes because no one wants a shutdown except our friends on the other side of the aisle. >> mr. president? >> will the senator yield? mr. president, my friend, the republican leader, spoke as if george orwell wrote his speech. this is "1984," where up is down, down is up, east is west. all one needs to do is look at the press. we have a situation where we

have a good day with the anarchists. why? because the government is closed. speaker boehner and his band of tea party radicals have done the unthinkable. they have shut down the federal government. for us, that is hard to comprehend as being good. for them, they like it. in nevada today, 7:00 in the morning out there, they are closing great basin national park. they have some security folks around. the visitor center will be closed. and lake mead recreation area in las vegas, where we have 600,000 people a year come there. not anymore. they will be closed. red rock recreation area -- over one million people come there every year. visitor center will be closed. the situation involving people who work cleaning offices, people who are security folks for federal buildings -- they will probably be able to hang around, but, mr. president, people who really need a job -- i talked last week on the floor

about a woman who came to my event last thursday. she works for the national park service. she has worked there all of her adult life. she knows what it is like to have a government shutdown. she was there when the last one occurred. they never got that money back. she is struggling because she does not make that much money, and now to have her job gone -- it is that way all over america. and why? to extract political concessions on one issue, one issue -- obamacare. the exchanges today kick in. 600,000 nevadans will be eligible for obamacare. these are 600,000 people who have no health insurance. you know what? today they can search around on the exchanges that have been developed there by a republican governor, and they can get a policy for as little as $100 a month. $100 a month.

if they get hurt, they can go see a doctor or go to a hospital and not be embarrassed. instead of allowing 435 -- mr. president, could we have order? there are several conversations taking place that are so distracting. >> the senate will be in order. >> mr. president, what the american people -- what they must understand is the house of representatives did not close the government. it was the republicans in the house of representatives that closed the government. the house has 435 members. but, no, they were not allowed to vote on keeping the government open. mr. president, can we have order in the senate? a conversation to my right is distracting. >> the senate will come to order. the majority leader. >> so they are so fixated on obamacare that is happening all over america today. that is one thing that is not being hurt. the president said it is going forward, full bore, and that is really welcome news for as many

as 30 million people in america. so members of the house of >> their other conversations taking place. the senate will be in order. president, with the american people must understand is that the house of representatives did not close the government. it was republicans in the house of representatives to close the government. the house of representatives has 435 members will stop but, they were not allowed to vote on keeping government open. president, to have order in the senate. the conversation to my right is distracting. >> the senate will come to order. leader,.ity

>> they are so fixated on obamacare that is happening all over today and it is one thing that is not being heard. the president said that it is going forward. that is welcome news. there are 30 main people in america who have no health insurance. so, members of the house of representatives were unable to vote to keep the government open. only the republicans. president, patty murray is from the state of washington and is the chair of the budget committee. she works so hard. she let us to pass a budget. she did that six month ago. the budget she passed is

different than the one that passed the house of representatives. for generations, for hundreds of years in the congress of the united states, when you have two separate pieces of legislation, you go to conference. you learn that in elementary school. and the house has passed something, the senate has passed something, what do you do? you sit down together in an open forum and work out your differences. that is how we have always done it until the tea party took over. senator murray has asked to go to conference 18 times. the senator from arizona, the senior senator, has asked eight times himself. by the way, the senior senator from arizona is a republican. objection, no conference. this has gone over for six months, and as the clock ticked past midnight and the federal government officially barred the doors close, speaker boehner demanded the very conference

that they have shunned us with for six months. huh? the display i would hope would be embarrassing to the senate -- to the house republicans, and the senate republicans. what a deal. so i say, mr. speaker, we are happy to negotiate a budget. we have been trying to for months, and we have not only senator murray who has been anxious to get a budget, but we have had senator mikulski, and she is a powerful chairman of the appropriations committee. she cannot do anything until we get a budget. so if the house passes the piece of legislation they have over there to keep the country functioning again, to reopen government, we are happy to go to conference.

why wouldn't we? we have been trying to do it for six months, and hopefully that would lead to a long-term responsible budget agreement, with our republican counterparts. that is what conference is all about. we have been asking to do that for months and months. not with the government closed. the speaker refused to pass the bill that they have over there, and the american economy loses billions of dollars -- billions of dollars. the business community, the conservative business community, has warned of the great consequences of this shutdown. the shutdown did not come down at a worst time, just as the economy is beginning to gain seen. the shutdown has furloughed half of the defense department civilian workforce. an air force base, the largest air force military installations in america, the civilian workforce there is coming to

work today to close their offices. there are some exceptions, but certainly 3/4 of them. how about this one? the centers of disease control they have basically ceased their functions, but what will happen if some kind of outbreak occurs? checks will go out for social security. if you are a disabled veteran, you cannot apply. you just come back from afghanistan, iraq -- sorry, no new applications will be received. passport applications to be processed, but no passport application will be processed. that is pretty important for an economy like las vegas. no small business loans will be issued.

i talked about the national parks. knowing federal workers will be sent home without pay, thousands and thousands are sitting home today waiting for congress to act. as this economic reality kicks in, we need the republicans to also kick in with some reality. i have had senators come to me and say you have got to give them something on obamacare. what is wrong with this picture, mr. president? what is wrong with the fixation on a law that has been law for four years? remind everyone again, united states supreme court said it was constitutional. what is wrong with this picture? "yeah, we will be happy to open the government if you us something on obamacare, to hurt obamacare." mr. president, no matter how many times they try to extort

the american people and the democrats here in the senate, we are not going to rededicate the health-care issue. we are not going to do that. if they have problems with that bill, we will be happy to sit down and talk to them about a reasonable approach to do it, but we will not do it with a gun to the head of the american people. frankly, it is too late to predict the worst effects of the showdown, but it is not too late to send federal employees back to work. the solution is as clear this morning as it was last night. reopen the government, let the house of representatives, all 435 members, vote on the legislation they have from us. and then they want to sit down in a sensible way and talk about patty murray's budget, we will do that. if they want to talk about the appropriation bill of senator mikulski, we will do that. as soon as the house makes a simple, reasonable action, that is, but the american federal workers back on the job, we can begin the process of negotiating

a long-term budget deal. we have been trying to do it for six months to the regular order of a conference committee, and we continue to do that. but there's no time to waste. every minute the federal government is close, shuts down, american families. it costs jobs. every week the federal government shuts down the economy loses more than $30 billion. it is time for republicans to stop obsessing over old battles. i mean, i say to my republican friends -- obamacare is over. it is passed. it is the law. and all over america today, and for the next three months,

millions of people will sign up here, and remember what i said about nevada. you can buy a policy for $100 a month. in the state of alaska, i was told you can get health insurance there is no premium. it varies from state to state. people who have never had health insurance will be able to get it. mr. president, i talked about here on the floor a day or two ago, i know what it is like not to have the ability to go to a doctor or hospital. i know that. people have to understand that that is not good.

it is really hard when you or a loved one is heard or sick and you have nowhere to go. that is what this is all about. havepublican friends and i respect and admiration. everyone one of them is an accomplished person, or they would not be in the senate. do not say that to me. do not say that you are happy to open the government if you give put into here can quiver against obamacare. it is the law. and, i repeat, mr. president, what is a fact will stop the

republicans hate social security . they hated medicare. how do people feel about social security and medicare today? they feel really good. it is the same with obamacare. how goodderstand obamacare has been already. if you are old, or if you have to buy pharmaceuticals, in nevada, they have saved millions of dollars because of obamacare. millions of dollars. you can stay on your parents health insurance until you are 27 years old. pretty good deal. you may even start your life and not have to worry about that. have refunds in the data and around the country -- neva

da and around the country because al franken stuck a provision in the bill that said that if an insurance company does not provide 80% of the premium for health care, they have to refund that money. hundreds of millions of dollars were refunded to people throughout america. insurance companies did not do 80%. they did bonuses and also to things that were not fair. obamacare is so really, really important. they to my friends in congress. thank goodness for obamacare. we do not have to worry about her. she is insured. -- i have -- i have had

somebody tell me, and i include this in my own remarks, that they have a son who is athletic -- epileptic. if you've never seen someone in --this is whatre obamacare is all about. you cannot be denied insurance. we will negotiate, as we have, on the budget and long-term things. the president has tried. our concern is obamacare. obamacare. they know that everything they good for the people who do

not believe in government. they wanted to fail. it is why they are doing all this. each day that goes by, it is harder and harder. in thesebe glitches changes. that's the way it was the social security and medicare. year, whent of the all these people are signed up, it is good for everybody. it is good for america because our country is a great country and will no longer be the only industrialized nation that does not have health care for everybody. cantor urged senate democrats to come to the negotiating table. they said that the agreement to pay service members was common ground to build on. >> good morning.

>> good morning. good morning good morning. -- good morning. good morning. >> all right. >> ok. good morning. we are here as members of the house appointed committee will stop created by request from the house to sit down with the senate to talk about the situation that we find ourselves and. none of us want to be in a shutdown and we are here to say to democrats, come and talk to us. as is how we resolve our differences and can work our way out of the situation will stop as you know -- this is how we resolve our differences and can work our way out of the situation. as you know, at each and every turn, the senate democrats have refused to discuss these

proposals and, instead, have tabled everyone of them. the last postal, last night, was a request by the house to go to conference. in here with my colleagues the chairman of the budget committee, paul ryan. the chairman of the ways and means committee. the chairman of the appropriations committee, kyle rogers. we have congressman ander crenshaw. congressman john carter. us here are sitting at a table and waiting for the senate democrats to join us so that we can begin to resolve our differences. we were encouraged by the passage of the bill in the house that was sponsored by mike kaufman from colorado. it was a bill to fund our troops

so that they would have no harm in the government shutdown. the senate passed the bill and the president passed into law. that is encouraging and we hope to be able to build on situations like that. that is if democrats will come and join us. we have veterans flying into washington to come and enjoy the memorials here. told that they are going to the world war ii sites, regardless of the bears. -- the barriers. because they should. causedtuation like that by unwillingness to talk is what we're trying to avoid. we are asking to have people come and join us. with that, questions. when there a disconnect

there is a rush to go to conference on this and there was no rush for months after you import the senate to pass a budget, which they finally did after a couple of years. has talked to the senate. >> a couple of things. ar goal has been to get to budget agreement. all the things that we have voted on have been to increase the likelihood of us getting a budget agreement that is based on our debt that has progrowth economic policies that are based around jobs. senator murray and i have been in continual communication over that. budgeted to get a conference when we had a likely to get an agreement. if we went prematurity, -- if we went prematurely, it would reduce the likelihood of getting a budget agreement. with a debt limit coming in two weeks. most budget agreements have always involved debt limit

increases. we think that is the mechanism. just like the budget control act that president obama signed in. or like bowles-simpson full stop or like in 1990 budget agreement. -- or like bowles-simpson. or like the 1990 budget agreement. our goal is to get a budget agreement. we think is a good way to get that. we want to sit down and get this done. we do not want to close the government down. what fairness for all americans. we do not want to treat people differently. when a budget agreement against the gift limit under control. budget agreement that gets the debt limit under control. >> there are millions of americans whose lives are being directly affected by the government shutdown. >> i would say that none of us want to be the shutdown. we are going to resolve our differences by sitting down and talk. there's no one on the other side of the table. i would also say that for the

many americans who are out there and being unnecessarily impacted by this, there is a way for us to work through our differences. we agree on an awful lot. as was seen at the war spending the for the troops that president signed into law. there are things that we can build on and agree on. the disagreements that we have do not get in the way of the things that we agree on. you have passed continuing resolutions and sent them to the senate. pass anymore to agency-specific appropriations? >> clearly, the senate has demonstrated that they are not willing to engage in the legislative process and that is why i think the speaker took the position of appointing us will stop we need to get down and talk through our differences. as i have said, certainly both

houses have commonality and agreement. bill made sure that the troops were not harmed by the shutdown. we can build on that. there are a lot of areas we have agreements. i would like to note that this table is empty on the other side will stop we need the senate democrat to come join us. thank you all very much. thank you. thank you. >> the first day of the government shutdown continued when steny hoyer urged john senate to bring the continuing resolution to a floor vote. he was joined by other workers. this is less than one hour. >> good afternoon. it is not a good afternoon. it is an afternoon that his fill the angst and anxiety.

fear. doubt. lack of confidence. and concern all over america about whether or not the government works. i want to thank all of you for being here. i know you sure that anxiety and fear with your families and your cells. lves.t -- yourse i want to thank colleen kelly and bill dugan. david cox, where is david? hey, david! good to see you. i'm joined by my colleagues. jim moran from virginia. john sarbanes. >> appreciate it. that was it. >> that's it. not just because we

represent a lot of federal employees. arere here because we concerned about the operations of the united states government. >> elijah cummings is here. >> elijah cummings is the ranking member of the government reform committee and is our point person on issues related to federal employees. it would be better if all the folks with us were at work on behalf of the american people. they don't want to shut down. neither do democrats. the proposition that some republicans have said the democrats want to shut down the government is so absurd and unbelievable that it is not worth responding to. we had a shutdown 17 years ago.

the republicans were in charge of the house of representatives and they tried to stare down bill clinton by cutting education of our children and bill clinton said, we are not going to do that. they should on government. this is a pattern for them. economy pattern for our and our national security. play aeral employees crucial role in keeping america strong, safe, and free. to useepublicans decided them as pawns in their sensitive partisan game -- their obsessive partisan game. i remind them that there was an election and it was an issue that was front and center. the american people reelected barackbaraba obama and reelectea senate controlled by democrats. and expanded the majority

the number of democrats in the house of representatives. notwithstanding that, they act like they were in charge. they continue to refuse to compromise. they have already been asked to give up so much. cola.ears of no constantly being paraded on the floor of house of representatives by some who do not appreciate their service. i said, if any of us were the members of a board of directors of a corporation and treated our employees like this, the stockholders would fire us. that ought to be commended and not treated with such disrespect. republicans shut down the government because of their unreasonable, on rational -- irrational, tea party wing. this is his appointing.

-- this is disappointing. i'm confident that a majority of republicans are not bent on radical destruction and want to keep government open. they're not focus on that. disappointed when we had a vote on a rule that prevented us from keeping government open. only three moderate republicans voted against that rule. people need to expect more from their representatives. the theould take for shutdown to and is for speaker boehner to put the senate possibility of floor. bill on the floor.

what is a cr? >> you a good. -- you look good. >> that mother was correct. what we're talking about is america's government open and serving the people of the united states of america. >> yeah! >> that is what we're talking about. i urged speaker boehner, let us have that vote. put a vote up on the for orn whether they are against having the government serve the american people. whether they want to take hostage the government or if they want the american people to be served via these men and women. millions of them. hundreds of thousands of them around the country.

you see a lot of washington suburban representatives here. is alan near? we are hoping eleanor will be here, as well. democrats will continue to stand for our patriotic federal workers and the work that they perform. i want to thank all of you for being here. i want to yield to a few of my colleagues. and other leaders of our employees, including bill dugan. eleanor is here. i just mentioned you. thank you for being with us. the senior representative the i'm he is jim moran and i want to yield -- the senior representative behind me is jim moran i want to yield to him.

-- and i want to yield to him. >> there are many of our colleagues who share the feeling that this is wrong. i want to thank the representatives and leaders of federal employees groups. of acomes in the context several your efforts to punish federal employees. bufact, but terribly -- dgetarily, they have taking money away from every single federal employee, in terms of benefits and federal pay. this seems to be the final straw to shut down the government -- the final straw, the shutdown the government, with few exceptions with regards to defense department personnel. it is wrong.

you only fully appreciate something when you do not have it and you have to live without it. and that is what is going to happen throughout america. we will acquire a greater appreciation of the federal government and the dedicated public servants. targets a proposal to some federal activities. andle call it the offices say that they cannot get to national parks or the smithsonian. they have decided that they can pick and choose a few federal and leave to open up the others closed. the 16,000 social security employees? oughed.st got furl

i talked to the racine and manages ssa -- i talked to the sheon who manages the ssa, said that she had to tell employees to go home. what about the national institute of health? we can go on and on. this is so wrong. we introduced a bill last night, as soon as the shutdown began, to reimburse federal employees for compensation for the time that they want to work but are denied the ability to fill their responsibility. that is what has been done. all the members you will hear from support that legislation and many more. we have to get to the floor and get past. that is hat's work. the government

open and get government servants on the job. we need to let this country be all that it was intended to be. >> yeah!. >> i want to go to the representatives of our loyal and hard-working employees. --ecognize a logic coming elijah cummings. >> it is so very sad what is happening here. , we hear attack after attack on federal employees. and, federal employees are the aes that have come to tremendous commitment. they realize is bigger than them and that they want to do

something for society as a whole. so, they sacrifice over and over. this is the way they are treated. ladies and gentlemen, i have stopped by to say that we are better than that. we are a better country than that. we are better congress and that. sadly, we look at federal some republicans act when they are making a lot of money. in federal employees come many instances, have one foot on a banana peel and one in the unemployment line. many of them are in situations where they are not living from paycheck to paycheck because when they get the paycheck, it does not cover all the bills will stop -- bills. they did the early bus. they catch the early bus. social security is located in middle of my district.

they have complained about how the forces have been reduced and they have to work longer hours with more work. now, they get another kick in the but today. they had to go home and not report. this is no way to run a country. kick ours came here to constituents under the bus. the services that they are being tried of -- deprived of, they need those services. government must run and needs strong people. i have come here to thank my colleagues, all of whom care about our federal employees. it pains each and everyone of us to know that they are going through this. i am declaring that we will fight with everything that we have.

we realize that this is so very, very important. want to thank all of you for showing up and let's keep the fight up. [applause] >> thank you. colleeno recognize kelly, the president of the national treasury employees union. [applause] much foryou very standing up for federal employees and giving us this opportunity. tunnele with dedicated employees who have been sent home from work and there jobs without pay. many see this as an inside the beltway issue. this is not further than the truth. -- this could not be further from the truth. i'm here for them because they are being used as pawns i some in congress to score political points. it is time that those games and

leverage -- they knew those games would not succeed. here we are with the first shutdown in 17 years. these federal employees are real people with mortgages and rent to pay. they have tuition to pay and are caring for the elderly parents. they are middle america and live from paycheck to paycheck. many of them have already been sent home for unpaid furloughed days. all have had their pay frozen for three years. this has to be brought to an end today. it is time for all those use federal employees as pawns to stop. we heard from congressman hoyer that it is possible to have a majority formed in the house that would vote for a clean cr. a houseneed is

leadership -- is for the house leadership to put this to a vote in the house. it is like a located taking their ball home and say may not going to play anymore. it is like a game. it is not a game. there are people who want to go back to doing the work of helping our country. joining me today are federal workers. i have three of them to step forward to tell me the impact that the actions have had on them, their families, and their coworkers. chlaffer. and rudy, from the national park service. marcelo del canto. i am a budget analyst.

in my budget, i did not plan for a furlough. my wife has also been impacted in this is it is hard. -- and this has hit us hard. we need to get back to work. this is important work. i speak my colleagues when i say that we are ready to work and want to go to work. we need to get back to work. please help us get there. >> thank you. thank you. thank you. >> george? >> sure. >> my name is george and i work for the irs in baltimore. i have been a federal employee for 40 years. examinesenue agent who tax returns to make sure that all americans pay their fair share of taxes. this shutdown needs to end immediately.

phones whople on the help taxpayers on the phones and those phones are not being answered today. we have a walk in place for the poor and elderly to come in for tax assistance. they cannot come -- to come in for tax assistance. they cannot come in today. we are real fault. we are not wealthy. i have two daughters in college and i can pay their tuition but it is difficult. we have some employees living from paycheck to paycheck. i have one in employee who was in court with eviction notices rlough days.hree fu how will this furlough impact her? she is on the edge and we have a lot of people like that. we have 20 of important work to do for america and we need to get to work.

them poor plenty of and worked do for america and we need to get to work. >> my name is rudy. i've have been a federal employee for 21 years. my wife is unemployed. a mortgage is something we are worried about. america'smotes greatest idea, the national parks. that brings visitors to our national parks that generate $30 million a day. losing money we are every day. we do not want to go back to work until the rest of our government agencies go back to work. i want tone story share, when i took up this job at the national park service, they said, you work for the federal government. this is a good place to be. you work for an agency that saves nature and the earth.

this is a good place to be. send us back to work so we can continue to serve the public and people to save the earth. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> president cox. >> thank you very much. thank you for the leadership to set up this event and thank you to the final years of the house of representatives who understand the value of federal employees and the work that we do. sitting behind us are a fair number of people from the bureau of prisons and correctional officers. they are being required to go to work. guarantee that they will be paid on payday. think about the work that they do. they protect the worst game members, the drug lords, all

those type things. they do a great job. i think of other government type employees. proudly pay my taxes because it is a responsibility i have is a citizen of this country. laws taxes to fund the that congress passes. not part of it. every law that congress passes and the president signs. i pay my taxes to fund them. , governmentday employees want to be on the job and be at work. we want to service you. thet the iressa, the v.a., irs,system -- be it at the 40 v.a., the park system, million americans will have the

privilege of purchasing health insurance. hold everyhose who federal employee hostage so that those people cannot have that privilege. i cannot think of that. that is shameless. >> here here. >> it is. it is shameless. i look at these representatives here. , you haven hoyer always been there for federal employees. you understood that we have had a pay freeze for three years and have seen increased costs to our retirement. ed and beenn furlough under constant threat of reduction of force. thank you for your leadership and leading forward. i know the president and the senate and all of these fine members of the house of representatives are not going to allow federal employees to be

the ransom for these people who have taken this country hostage. thank you so much. thank you so much. thank you. thank you. -- thank you,avid david. bill, where are you? >> good afternoon. --have entered thousands 800,000 federal workers were locked out by republican house to hold these hard-working american men and women hostage and the citizens of this country hostage. that have nothing to do with whether or not we should

continue to fund the government or not. they do not seem to understand the affordable care act has been in existence for three years and they refuse to recognize that it has been incremented and it is time to move on -- implemented and it is time to move on. through no fault of their own, these employees, who are the people who protect our borders and the communities that we live and work, who are fighting the wildfires that are raging, who inspected the meat and water to make sure we have clean food and that water on our tables, our borders are protected and our airports are protected. owe them a debt.

we're taking care of them at being medical services across country. these people did not cause this shutdown. yet, they are the people impacted. i can assure you that every citizen in this country, before this thing is over, if it goes on, they will feel the impact of the shutdown. whether it is the lock of the that families who have planned vacations can no , or if you are going to get a passport and there's nobody there to except your application or fill it out, whether it is going to in iraq's office and asking for tax help -- irs office and asking for tax help, whether it is buying the

first house you can say before a dreaming about your whole life, these are real people. these are not just people who work in washington dc. -- washington, d.c.. 85% of the federal workforce lives outside of the beltway. the fact that they are not going to be paid will be felt through those communities. we will see the ripple effects through the communities, where we have economies that depend on these people. the discretionary income and the fact that they volunteer in these communities. pay are federal workers who their taxes and serve as little league coaches and emts. i have to tell you that this is absolutely ridiculous and we need to do all we can do to get

congress to do what is right and what they were elected to do. what that was is to come here and get this appropriation passed so that we can get government-funded and get the people back to work. thank you very much. >> thank you. [applause] >> thank you very much. i'm going to have to leave. i know each member wants to say a word on behalf of all of the american people, not just the federal employees, that all the american people who are being affected by this indiscriminate and irresponsible action that has been taken when we have an alternative. put the continuing resolution that funds the government on the floor. republican the democrats all say they do not want to shut down the government. guess what? let's not shut down the federal

government. let's open it up and move on. >> will democrats vote for the bills that will fund the government? >> let me say this, this is a game. this is a game. there is no excuse for not opening up all the government. there's not an excuse for leaving some employees behind wall you take care of others. makings no excuse for the people of the united states suffer without the government in operation. i will not selectively take some agencies. all agencies are important. you cannot pretend that you're going to drift, drip, drip and open up those. suspensions,e are do believe that this is a day or

two democrats -- dare to democrats? >> as outrageous as all this is, the worst travesty is what it does to our capital city. columbia,strict of d.c. residents pay for their government. this shutdown refuses to let them use their own revenue to run their government. frome not going to hear the distinguished delegate from the district of columbia. stop -- thankill you. we came your together. gather 20 here to years ago. r 20 years ago.

i had to say to her federal workers and unions who are representing, all i can think about is, what you say to people who have experienced this and now the worst. whenppened at midnight almost the entire federal rloughed, on top of those you have already received. we are speaking for federal employees across the country. in of them are located member districts of my colleagues. they soldier on through the furloughs.

now, republicans have taken them off the job. i have two groups of employees caught in this crisis. the district government serves the people directly at their homes and by putting things in their hands. they are proxies and we are proxies. employees, in one sense, are also proxies. the services they deliver the event upon the services that federal employees are able to deliver to them. is able to keep the district of columbia open by cobbling together the contingency funds to pay our workers. that runs out in two weeks. it would have a punitive effect. we have reserves.

we have a balanced budget, unlike, hot help us, the federal government. what matters most is the unintended effect of this shutdown on my constituents. i want to thank the house members who signed the petition to keep the district open. , both federal and d.c. employees are innocent bystanders of a congressional situation. we should pass the bipartisan bill to ensure that they will be paid for the time it were forced to be off the job. >> thank you. we will go back and forth between maryland and virginia. we will hear from a ranking

democrat on the house intelligence committee. >> thank you and good afternoon. let me say this to federal employees, you are only as good as our team and you are our team. you make is the best country in the world. you have been treated poorly and are definite serious economic challenges. to be treated like this is wrong. we are in the minority and we have to do whatever we can to make sure that we take care of the situation. one of the things we put into a was to put in a bill that would retroactively or text you and your salary. salary.ct you and your we got here because the issue of health care, which was having that we had to deal with as a country.

if we didid that nothing, the average family will be paying $25,000 year. our country cannot afford that. we had to have the courage and president obama did, to move forward. we are able to, legislatively, pass it. we went through the process. the judicial process. the supreme court upheld and said it was legal. the health care law is legal. finally, the legislative process. we have voted over 44 times to repeal health care. to repeal health care. there was not one debate on how to improve health care. all have to do is have our republicans come together to resolve the issue to make health care what needs to be. that was our goal and still is.

rather than focus on improving the health care this is not governing, it is bullying. we have to talk about what our strategy is to move forward. i am asking the republican ondership to put the bill the floor, a direct bill they came from the senate, and let members of congress vote for the bill. do you want to shut the government down or do you want to move forward and do the thing that is right for our country? to make what we can sure you get that vote. i have talked to many republicans on the other side and they are not happy. thank you for being here. [applause] >> now we will hear from the former chair of the fairfax county board.