Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendment to H.R. Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2026

Floor Speech

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Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this rule and ending this shutdown chaos.

For more than 40 days, the American people have endured a painful and entirely avoidable government shutdown. It was not because of policy differences but because Senate Democrats and Chuck Schumer chose politics over people.

While Washington stalled, hardworking Americans paid the price. Our air traffic controllers went without pay. A system stretched thinner by the day had a new strain put on that system, which put millions of lives at risk. Americans depend on them to keep our skies safe. Families who rely on SNAP and WIC, parents who are just trying to feed their kids, were left wondering how they would make it through another week.

At the same time, our border agents and Coast Guard members continue to serve this country as their own families went without pay. Through it all, while everyday Americans carried the weight of this shutdown, Senate Democrats had chance after chance to end it, but instead they chose to prolong the pain. That is not leadership. That is hypocrisy.

It was never about budgets or priorities. It was about power. It is not about turning government on. For them, it was about turning government into performance, where the people paying the highest price are the ones furthest from Washington.

For more than 40 days, families were used as political pawns and props while those responsible stood in front of cameras pretending to solve the crisis that they created. I actually saw a Member from my home State stand at a food bank, decry the fact that nutritional assistance was in question, then swear up and down that they would vote against ending this shutdown. That is the epitome of hypocrisy, and the American people deserve better than that.

House Republicans did our job. We passed a clean continuing resolution weeks ago, the same kind of straightforward measure that should have been agreed to immediately to keep this government open. Senate Democrats blocked that 14 times, prolonging this shutdown just to score points to their woke, angry mob.

This measure before us today is the same bipartisan framework they could have passed 40 days ago. The only thing that has changed is the political calendar.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule. Let's stand with the American people, the families, the veterans, and public servants who have carried the burden of this shutdown and reopen our government. Let's get this country moving again.

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