“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to again speak about the human consequences of this reckless and irrational government shutdown. We have now reached day 15 of this foolishness”, said Rep. Bustos.
On October 15, 2013 Representative Cheri Bustos of Illinois asked for permission to address the United States House of Representatives for one minute regarding the continuing government shutdown.
During that time she sought to underscore the human costs involved.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to again speak about the human consequences of this reckless and irrational government shutdown. We have now reached day 15 of this foolishness. Each day, I spend time speaking with people from my congressional district who are suffering through this through no fault of their own. Dorothy Lara, from Rockford, Illinois, shared the story of her family’s history and their truly deep connection and commitment to this country. Dating back to the early 1600s, her family has literally given their blood, sweat, and tears for America’s freedom and democracy.”
“Nine generations ago, her family helped build the Mayflower, and not only that, they then helped coordinate its voyage. Her family’s ancestors have served in nearly every war in this country–in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, both World Wars–and just recently, she welcomed home her son from Iraq. Dorothy said it better than I ever could myself. She said–and these are her exact words–“All of my forefathers would be ashamed of what has been going on in this country today.” She went on to say, “What happened to a government by the people, for the people?” and then said, “What I want to see is what my forebearers have fought for: equality, job creation, honor, and respect. They are owed that much”, she said.
“We have the votes right now–right here–to reopen our government. We can end this madness and go back to governing our country the way we should be governing our country. Dorothy’s family and so many other families throughout our country are, indeed, owed that much”, said Rep. Bustos (source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov).
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos currently serves on the following committees and subcommittees: Committee on Transportation and Infastructure, Subcommittee on Highways and Transit, Subcommittee on Aviation. Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management, Subcommittee on Livestock, Rural Development, and Credit.