Department of Defense Furloughs

Floor Speech

Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, this week, our civilian defense employees are at their desks, working fervently, after staying home for their first furlough day last week. Now they're having to take a furlough day each week for the next 11 weeks.

I have talked with folks in my district who are, to say the least, frustrated as our Nation and they are deeply, deeply affected by these furloughs. As one constituent said, they are ``being held hostage.''

The United States is the greatest Nation in the world and has the greatest military the world has ever known because we have citizens dedicated to serve--dedicated in spite of a lack of true leadership in Washington.

While the administration had other choices rather than to furlough these essential employees, they chose instead to make a political statement on the backs of our fellow citizens to spread the pain far and wide. Our Nation's defense will undoubtedly suffer.

I continue to urge the administration to utilize the flexibility it has, and I urge Congress to get to work on our Nation's defense legislation.

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