April 7: Kaptur Speaks Out Against Government Shutdown

In our tender economy, where job creation should be our top priority, this flawed legislation moves us backwards. It gives no confidence to the markets that anyone here in the majority knows what they are doing. This bill is partial, it is short term, and it is a selective bill that leaves the vast majority of budget choices off the table. It is irresponsible.

The American people are sick and tired of political antics. This bill is so flawed it leaves out the veterans who come home and can't get work and are lined up with their families at food banks across this country.

This bill does nothing about reemploying them nor assuring their sustenance as employment and food commodity programs are left off the table.

It omits decisions regarding food supplies to those pantries so essential to holding life together for our unemployed veterans as well as for millions of other Americans facing hard times.

And what about those vets lined up to exercise their GI benefits at local community colleges? This resolution turns its back on 2011 educational funding at community colleges that are an essential reentry portal for returning veterans. So this bill is partial, selective and lopsided.

What about those vets with disabilities who are lined up across our country to get adjudication? This resolution turns its back on them and those adjudication judges that also get paychecks from the government of the United States to do their job.

Let me urge the majority to do what the American people sent us here to do, and that is to govern, to govern for all, to not leave anyone out, to not leave any veterans out, to not leave the vast majority of Americans out.

I ask my colleagues to defeat this flawed resolution. Let us govern responsibly by addressing the entire budget, not just a slice of it.