Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01) today spoke on the Floor of the House of Representatives to urge all his colleagues to vote for the Continuing Resolution to fund the government and fulfill Congress’s responsibility to ensure the appropriations process works.
The Congressman’s remarks, as delivered, can be found below.
Thank you, Madam Speaker and I thank the gentlelady for yielding.
I first want to say thank you to the Appropriations Chair and to the Members of the Appropriations Committee for their extraordinary work.
Let’s be clear about one thing – a continuing resolution is not a way to proceed, but it is the only way we can proceed in the face of Republican obstruction. And when you vote no on the Continuing Resolution, you are voting to defund the government and shut it down.
That means veterans can’t access healthcare at the VA.
It means our Native American tribes can’t have access to healthcare and schools.
It means our troops won’t get the pay they deserve.
You are voting to shut the government down and at the same time, you’re unwilling to be part of a process to pass appropriations bills for an entire year.
You’re here to govern.
You have a responsibility to make sure this appropriations process works. And I am grateful for the service of the members of the Appropriations Committee that have worked on this in a painstaking way. And we have Republicans in the Senate who are obstructing this process.
But, I’m glad that I’m part of a party that is going to make sure government remains open, that we take care of our responsibilities, that we ensure that this economic recovery which is underway is not hampered.
And I thank the Chair of the Appropriations Committee for the hard work in bringing us to this moment. I urge everyone to support the Continuing Resolution. Be responsible.
And with that, I yield back.
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