Shutdown Consquences

Floor Speech

Mr. HECK of Washington. Mr. Speaker, in the run-up to the government shutdown, and now into day three, I have sensed a gamut of emotions coursing through the veins of this institution, including emotional fatigue, and frustration, and outrage.

You can tell there is outrage because of the elevated decibel level. And for some of us as well is the emotion of sadness. I don't know how you can help but feel otherwise if you keep in mind what the consequences of our inaction are having beyond the doors of this Chamber. They are affecting real people, and they are having real consequences.

I have the unbelievable privilege to represent Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington State, and the tens of thousands of servicemembers and civilian employees who support them there. The civilian employees already experienced furlough days. Just a few weeks ago I spoke to one of those individuals. As a consequence of the furlough, she lost her car. I am not sure what the consequence of government shutdown will be on her life.

You know, we tend to think of those people, I suspect here, often as what we would call GS-10s or -12s or -14s, but that's not the case. The preponderance of them are GS-2s and -3s and -4s. And a protracted shutdown will materially alter their lives. Real people, real consequences.

Yesterday, we received an email from a woman who is the WIC, Women, Infant, Children, provider in our area. She has already had 16 phone calls from moms who are scared they are not going to be able to feed their children. Women, infants, children. Real people, real consequences.

And as well, the wheels of commerce are grinding. We have been in contact with a commercial real estate person who is helping another person start up a propane distribution business in one of the communities in my district. He has one step left to go, that's a successful SBA application, which appears likely, except for he needs one more data point to submit. One more, from the Internal Revenue Service, which is not available to him now. He cannot submit. He cannot start his business. He cannot grow the economy. Real people, real consequences.

So I am sad. I am sad because I know this does not have to be. I know, Mr. Speaker, that sitting up on that desk is a bill passed by the Senate last Friday, a clean, comprehensive bill which would reopen the Federal Government. And you know what else I know, and every single Member of this Chamber knows as well? It has the votes to pass if we would but bring it up for a vote.

And then, Mr. Speaker, we could reopen the Federal Government and we could take into account the real people and the real consequences of our inaction. We could put out the ``Open for Business'' sign on the Federal Government and help those that we were sent here to help.

Source