Providing for Consideration of H.R. Department of Defense Appropriations Act, Providing for Consideration of H.R. Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, Providing for Consideration of H.R. Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024
Floor Speech
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Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, the previous speaker just said that no Republican Member wants a shutdown. I have the quotes right here, which I will submit for the Record when I am done.
One House Republican said: ``. . . let's shut it down.''
Another Republican colleague said: ``We should not fear a government shutdown . . . Most of the American people won't even miss it. . . .''
The leader of the Republican Party, the former President, said: ``Unless you get everything, shut it down.''
Make no mistake about it, we are here because certain Members on the other side of the aisle want a shutdown. They even said they want a shutdown.
Why should we be surprised about that?
Ever since I was in high school 30 years ago, we have had five government shutdowns; all five took place under House Republican leadership. When Democrats were in charge of the House, zero government shutdowns during that same time period.
Now, in terms of the one Republican Member who said that the American people won't miss it if there is a government shutdown, actually here is what would happen.
More than 7 million Americans would lose access to their benefits: women, infants, and children; 2\1/2\ million Active-Duty and Reserve personnel serving in our Nation's Armed Forces would go without the pay they deserve; 2.3 million Federal workers could be furloughed or forced to work without pay; millions of Americans who are going to our airports and going through TSA lines suddenly finding themselves with unending delay--by the way, 1.6 million Americans who fly through our airports every single day will be impacted; 660,000 college students who rely on Federal work study.
I was one of those students at one point who relied on that program, so make no mistake about it, there are real consequences to shutdowns.
My colleague from Massachusetts cited the data before. It cost us $11 billion the last shutdown. This one would do the same.
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Mr. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, a wise coach once said: You are your record.
Well, let's look at the record. Over the last 30 years, five government shutdowns, all five took place under House Republican leadership. When Democrats were in charge of the House, those 30 years, zero government shutdowns. Heck, some on the other side like shutdowns so much, the last one was under a Republican House, a Republican Senate, and a Republican President.
Now, some on the other side have said publicly that there would be essentially no consequences to a government shutdown. One Member even said people won't even miss it.
Here is what happened during the last Republican shutdown: $11 billion lost to this economy, billions of taxpayer money wasted, 140,000 fewer jobs as a result of that shutdown.
You look at those that took place even before 2018, and you see similar results. This is all, by the way, from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. There are real costs to a government shutdown.
Here we are just 4 days, 4 hours, and some minutes away from the shutdown. It pains me to say this, but we see the Senate doing its job. They actually just voted on a bipartisan basis, by a 4-1 margin, to make sure we don't have a government shutdown.
What is the leadership doing here in the House? Debating bills that, frankly, will have no impact whatsoever on whether or not we shut down at midnight Saturday.
Let's stand up to this extreme MAGA shutdown. Let's say ``no'' to the shutdown. Let's pass the bipartisan continuing resolution tonight and make sure we don't disrupt the lives of the American people.
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