Date: 2013-10-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. I rise to speak in support of H.J. Res. 89. the Federal Worker Pay Fairness Act. Last week the House passed support of H.R. 3223. the "Federal Employees Retroactive Pay Fairness Act." which provided for retroactive pay for nearly 800.000 federal workers who have been furloughed as a result of the government shutdown engineered by the Tea Party faction of House Republicans. The 1.3 million "essential" civilian employees as well as those who are on Furlough share the same financial fate neither will get a paycheck if the shutdown extends beyond October 15. 2013. Federal employees whether they are working or waiting be called back to work are all waiting on the House to honor a promissory note for agreeing to give their best in serving the people of the United States. We promise to pay Federal employees what is owed to them. We owe them dignity and respect as well as a debt of gratitude for electing to enter into public service. The reason we are considering another Federal employee pay bill is that the earlier bill forgot something important that the majority is trying to fixand I agree they should fix with passage of this bill. We have not started the debate on the Debt Ceiling. but it is time to start considering the consequences should this method of legislating continue. The world has a promissory note that is written on every dollar bill. "This note is Legal Tender for All Debts. Public and Private." That promissory note means that people around the world highly value our nations currencynot having that reputation will hurt everyone in this country. In other words our money is only as valuable as its reputation. which is why threatening not to honor our debts is more than just a light matter to be down played by PR talking points. But to my dear friends on the other side of the aisle this is another example of why this piecemill process to attempt to fund the Federal government is a problem and why the American public can see that this process makes no sense. The House has members who are specialists in appropriations they serve on the house Committee on Appropriations. According to the Rules on the House of Representatives the House Committee on Appropriations function is the appropriation of the revenue for the support of the Government. The Appropriations Committee would not have forgotten to include Hill staff. which this bill will address. Hill employees include Capitol Police officers. custodial staff. and the staff of the Library of Congress. This gesture is appreciated by these Federal government employees. but neither they nor the other federal employees promised back pay will see anything until this body passes a clean CR offered by the Senate. The United States House of Representatives has Rules that govern how we as the peoples representatives are to conduct the business of the Federal government. The House of Representatives have been trying to put on a show for the American public by bringing bills to the floorfast and varied though they may be they are half baked and ineffective means of funding the Federal government. My colleagues on the other side aisle are only humanand they are going to forget something. but one of the things they should not forget is how their decisions are impacting the lives of people. I urge all Members to join me in voting for H.J. Res. 89.