Expected Employees' Pay Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014

Floor Speech

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I thank my friend from New York.

Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely the right thing to do to make sure we pay Federal workers on time whether they're the Capitol Police or any other public servant doing the work of our country right now.

It was also the right thing to do on a bipartisan basis to make sure that Federal employees are not punished through no fault of their own. We did that unanimously by the vote on Saturday to make sure that Federal employees do not have to bear that burden when they're not the ones making the bad decisions.

What is very puzzling, Mr. Speaker, is, in having voted unanimously to say that we're going to make sure we pay those Federal employees who are being furloughed, we would at the same time block them from going back to work for the American people.

I just don't understand, Mr. Speaker, how the Speaker of the House can explain that to the American people when we have in our possession here in the people's House a piece of legislation that, if we were allowed to vote on it, could reopen the entire government right now, without preconditions.

Now, we've heard from our Republican colleagues that they want to open one little piece--let's open the national parks. Let's open another little piece--but on Saturday, what we did was vote to make sure that every Federal employee, whether they work for the national parks or any other Federal agency--everyone--would get paid for yesterday, for today, for tomorrow.

So why would our colleagues want to let one more day go by when we're compensating Federal employees and making them stay at home? Why wouldn't we open the Federal Government today so that they can do the work that we're paying them to do on behalf of the American people? It is absolutely mind-boggling, Mr. Speaker, that our Republican colleagues would take that position.

In the Senate right now you've got a Senator from Texas, Senator Cornyn, who is blocking that particular provision that we passed unanimously. I hope that he will let it go. But over here in the House, we have a bill that the President's waiting to sign right now. All we need to do is pass it, and the votes are here in the House to do it. If the Speaker doubts that fact, there's an easy way to figure it out. We all know that. Put it up for a vote. What's the Speaker afraid of--a little democracy in this House?

So we're going to be paying all the Federal employees, as we should, because they absolutely should not be penalized--not for one day that we're forcing them to be out of work. These are men and women who are dedicated to providing service to our country. They want to get back to work, and what this House is saying is, We're going to keep paying you, but we're not going to let you go to work for the American people. That is an astounding position to take.

Let's vote to open the entire government right now. Let's take up the Senate bill. Let's get it done.

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