The People's Right to Representative Government

Floor Speech

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Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. First I would like to thank the esteemed Representative from Hawaii for sharing this time with me.

Mr. Speaker, I once again rise and join my colleagues in urging you to allow us to vote to reopen government. I have been up here before day after day. I have taken a nuanced approach, quoting the wisdom of the popular children's author, Dr. Seuss, but today the Dr. Seuss gloves come off.

It is no wonder, no wonder that a recent poll of Americans show that Congress is less popular than hemorrhoids, toenail fungus, dog poop, and cockroaches. Like millions of Americans, I want to put my head out the window and shout that this standoff is idiotic and this reckless, irresponsible shutdown has got to stop.

Mr. Speaker, as I speak, the Earth is in turmoil. Iran is building a nuclear weapon; in Syria, a civil war is killing thousands of women and children; in Nairobi, terrorists attacked innocent shoppers in a retail mall; and in Europe, major countries are going bankrupt.

So what does the greatest Nation on Earth do to set an example for the rest of the world? We hang a sign that says, ``Closed for business.'' And as we try to emerge from a recession that hurt so many of our constituents, we proceed to throw 800,000 patriotic Americans out of a job, leaving them without income to pay their mortgages, their car loans, their children's tuition. Oh, but that is not all. We stop the funding for Head Start for millions of children and slow down benefits for veterans who risked their lives and their liberty for our freedom.

Mr. Speaker, this government does not belong to the United States Congress. This government belongs to the people of America, and they are demanding, rightfully so, that we open our government today.

Mr. Speaker, let us vote today.

Mr. Speaker, if this Congress delays any longer, I respectfully suggest that even the Ebola virus and twerking will overtake us in the polls, and it will be well-deserved.

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