BROOKS CALLS FOR COMPROMISE TO END SHUTDOWN

10/02/13

Washington, D.C. – This morning Congressman Mo Brooks (AL-05) addressed the U.S. House of Representatives, calling on the Senate to compromise and pass funding bills to bring an end to the federal government shutdown. 

Excerpts from Congressman Brooks’ remarks:

“Mr. Speaker, the federal government is shutdown, thereby damaging America’s economy generally and the Tennessee Valley’s economy in particular, where thousands of Defense, NASA, and other federal government employees have been furloughed because the President, in his discretion, designated them non-essential.

“City, county and state governments across America pass one bill, called a budget, that fund services for their fiscal years. In contrast, Washington uses a three-step spending process.

“First, Washington should pass a bill that is called a budget yet does not, in fact, spend a dime.  Rather, in Washington, the word “budget” is more like a game plan.  It is much like a football coach’s playbook.  It lists the team’s plays but does not, in and of itself, gain a single yard.

“Second, Washington should pass authorization bills that describe the programs the federal government is to operate.  For example, the NASA authorization bill authorizes NASA to work on the Space Launch System so that America can have a human space flight program.  Like budgets, authorization bills spend no money.

“Third, Washington must pass appropriations bills to actually spend money on the programs authorized.

“If Congress fails to pass appropriations bills, then Congress uses Continuing Resolutions as crutches for our failure.

“There are twelve appropriations bills that, collectively, fund the federal government.  So far this year, the House, months ago, passed appropriations bills for national defense, energy and water, homeland security, military construction, and veterans affairs.

“If the Senate passes these appropriations bills, then each of these federal programs are fully funded and exempt from the federal government shutdown.  That’s correct, exempt from the shutdown.  Unfortunately, the Senate inexplicably refuses to vote on any of the twelve appropriations bills. Senate intransigence is why we are here today debating a Continuing Resolution to temporarily fund the federal government.

“Generally speaking, Continuing Resolutions fund at prior-year spending levels, which means spending does not change to reflect changing priorities, circumstances, and challenges.  In sum, continuing resolutions are inherently inefficient, waste tax dollars, and retard proper federal government operation.

“Hence, I have historically voted against less-than-year-end continuing resolutions in hopes of forcing Congress to do the compromising necessary to pass authorization and appropriations bills.

“The Senate, White House, and Congress agree on roughly 99 percent of the appropriations bills.  The solution to our impasse is simple.  Congress and the White House should fully fund the 99 percent we agree on, end the government shutdown, and work out our differences on the remaining 1 percent.

“Instead, the Senate and White House use a federal government shutdown to coerce the House of Representatives into spending money America does not have on a socialized medicine program that does not work, and that a majority of Americans do not want.

“Yesterday I spoke with House Leadership and I urged them to pass bills that, one at a time, fund the 99 percent of the federal government that we agree on. I thank the House Leadership for doing exactly that yesterday and today. Each bill we pass exempts yet another part of the federal government from the shutdown.

“I urge my friends across the aisle to join us, to join America, to compromise, yes, to compromise, and pass as many funding bills as we can to minimize and eliminate the harmful effects of a federal government shutdown.”

Video of Congressman Brooks’ remarks is available on his YouTube Channel.