Even as the
shutdown started
Wisconsin Republican
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson
proposed a bill called
Eliminate Shutdowns Act.
And all it does
is if you don't
appropriate money
for government prior
to the beginning of
the fiscal year
or any department
doesn't shut down government
doesn't shut down
those departments
just establishes
a rolling 14-day
continuing appropriation.
So then the appropriators
have time to pass
an appropriation bill.
I was disappointed
that every Democrat
voted against
that, when we
voted on Monday.
But we also had
12 appropriators
Republican appropriators
voted against it
because they said
it would undercut
the appropriation process.
But let me just describe
that process
that's been undercut.
I've been here 15 years
15 appropriations cycles.
That means
180 appropriation bills
should have been passed
before the end
of the fiscal year
on time.
You know how many
have been passed?
Six.
That's a 96.7% failure rate.
That's apparently what
the Alleviate
Shutdown Act
would undermine
or undercut.
What is your response
to President Trump
seeming to use
the shutdown
as predicate
to cut agency budgets
and personnel?
Well, first of all
in the private sector
when your company goes
bankrupt, you know
unfortunately people
lose their jobs
and they have to go
find employment
elsewhere.
And so I don't see why
public service
public sector employees
should be immune to what
we all have
to experience in
the private sector.