Dingell Denounces Republican Gimmicks in Government Shutdown

On Wednesday, U.S. Congressman John Dingell (D-Dearborn) took to the House of Representatives floor to denounce Republican efforts to block full funding of the federal government.

Here is a transcript of Dingell's comments:

One of my colleagues came to me yesterday and said ‘You’ve seen it worse, haven’t you?’ Well, I’ve only been here 57 years and I never have. I’ve never seen such small-minded, miserable behavior in this House of Representatives, and such a disregard of our responsibilities to the people.

We’re supposed to solve the problems of the people. We’re supposed to deal with the concerns they have. We’re supposed to see to it that the nation prospers. None of that is being done. The American people could get better government out of Monkey Island in the local zoo than we’re giving them today.

I’m embarrassed and humiliated, and I certainly hope that my colleagues on both sides—especially on the Republican side—are embarrassed. This is going to cost us huge amounts of money.

It’s going to waste money in amounts that will exceed that with which we saw wasted during the last time the Republicans shut the House down. They shut it down in ’95 and ’96 and it cost $2 billion in today’s monies, according to the Office of Management and Budget.

This shutdown is no different, and it’s going to end up not only costing money but hurting the economy, hurting jobs and hurting the American recovery. During the last shutdown, we lost huge amounts of revenue, through IRS, through EPA and through other agencies. Passport applications were not processed. More revenue was lost. National parks, battlefields and monuments were closed.

Now, we’re going to pass a bunch of hit-and-miss legislation in the assumption that people are going to think that in some quaint way we’re solving the nation’s problems.

We are called the ‘Congress.’ That means coming together. I see no coming together here. I see a waste of time, a waste of money and the behavior of a bunch of people who look small, petulant and small-minded.

I’m embarrassed. I hope my colleagues are embarrassed. And the American people are not only embarrassed, but they are being hurt by the shameless, miserable behavior that we’re demonstrating today in this chamber and on the televisions of the nation.

Let’s get down to business. Let’s pass a continuing resolution. Let’s do our responsibilities. Let’s behave as a Congress of the United States, not an aggregation of petulant children. I yield back the balance of my time.