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Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) today denounced the Republican leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives for pushing extreme legislation the final week before a government shutdown rather than taking necessary steps to avoid the furloughing of millions of workers and the shuttering of critical services.

 “Why are we – with hours to go before a government shutdown – wasting precious time debating bills that are so extreme, so backwards, that they clearly have no chance of becoming law?” said Rep. Carbajal. “Why this week have we spent more time voting to defund individual salaries of public servants than passing a bill that would prevent millions from going unpaid?”

The full speech can be viewed here.

The full text of Rep. Carbajal’s prepared remarks can be found below:

Mister Speaker, I rise today to ask: Why?

Why are we – with hours to go before a government shutdown – wasting precious time debating bills that are so extreme, so backwards, that they clearly have no chance of becoming law?

Why this week have we spent more time voting to defund individual salaries of public servants than passing a bill that would prevent millions from going unpaid come Monday morning?

Why are we more focused on a baseless and bogus impeachment inquiry than the fact that, if we do not prevent a shutdown, we will be asking members of our military, our law enforcement officers, our TSA agents and air traffic controllers, ALL to come to work to protect our nation without a paycheck?

Mister Speaker, the livelihoods of thousands of families in my district are being put at risk, as well as the benefits for millions more — nutrition benefits, SBA loans, taxpayer assistance!

Mister Speaker, I ask why? But I also ask when? When is this chamber going to get off this island of fantasy budgeting, and actually govern and work for the people?

Background:

Representative Carbajal’s remarks from the floor of the U.S. House came less than 36 hours before a federal government shutdown that would begin at midnight on Sunday, October 1.

Last week, Rep. Carbajal and 97 of his colleagues from the New Democrat Coalition, of which he serves as a Vice Chair, in urging House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to drop the extreme-right's demands and keep his promise from May to work across the aisle and keep the government open.

Rep. Carbajal and his colleagues in the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, which is a group of 64 House Democrats and Republicans, also devised and endorsed a framework that would avert a government shutdown and keep the government operating through the remainder of this year.