Unanimous Consent Request

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARRASSO. This is a political stunt by the Democrats. The resolution they are offering is empty. It is meaningless.

Democrats shut down this government. Democrats have voted against reopening the government 13 times. Democrats are holding food assistance for 42 million Americans hostage, and they are going to do it again tomorrow. They are doing it tonight.

Democrats knew their actions threatened food assistance. They were fully aware of it. This was organized and orchestrated in Chuck Schumer's office months in advance of the shutdown. The Department of Agriculture warned the Democrats weeks ago what was going to happen. The local newspapers around the country--as a matter of fact, a newspaper in the Senator's home State of Oregon reported:

Food is the first thing to go.

The Oregon paper went on to say:

Oregonians brace for SNAP delays if federal shutdown drags on.

And still, for 34 days, Democrats have voted time and time again to keep the government closed. If Democrats hadn't voted 13 times to shut down the government, there wouldn't be the lines we are seeing on television down and around the block at food banks and all around the country.

The Senator from Oregon talked about children, using people as pawns, as political pawns. That is exactly what the Democrat whip in the House had said. So, of course, there is going to be suffering. She said it gives them leverage. Senators in this body--Democrats--have said exactly the same thing.

The Democrats have continued to use people as pawns for political purposes, and it is wrong. It has to stop. If Democrats really wanted to help struggling families, they would stop blocking a clean continuing resolution.

The shutdown ends when Democrats end their dangerous political games. And it is a dangerous political game that even the Washington Post has pointed that out. You want to end the food assistance cliff? It is easy. Pass the clean, bipartisan continuing resolution. Democrats should vote for it immediately. Until then, the Schumer shutdown is going to continue to hurt struggling families. Therefore, I object.

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