Washington, DC -- Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY-17) issued the following statement in response to the Republican Majority’s passage of so-called Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2011.  This bill implies that the Republican Majority’s Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act 2011, (HR 1) would actually become law if no agreement is reached between the House, Senate and the White House.  This despite H.R. 1’s not actually passing the Senate or being signed by the President.

“The only explanation I have as to why this bill passed the House today, is the fact House Republicans have a great sense of humor and appreciation of comedic theater.  If this was an April Fool’s Joke, I would laugh with my colleagues and appreciate the attempt at levity during such a serious debate.  However, it became obvious when no one shouted ‘April Fools’ that they were in fact serious about bypassing the basic building blocks of our government because they refuse to negotiate in good faith with House Democrats, the Senate or the President.

“I recall the new Majority’s grand fanfare with which the entire House read the Constitution – the blueprint for our form of government – aloud on the House floor.  I remember because I was there - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RLWTNoo5ME.   Just in case they forgot – in Article I, Section 7 says, ‘Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it becomes a Law, be presented to the President of the United States. Note the words, ‘and the Senate.’  Our Constitution requires that to enact legislation, the House AND Senate must pass it, and then the President must sign it. That’s language that every public school child in the country understands, and I am baffled as to why my colleagues seem to have forgotten it. 

“It’s very  disingenuous of our GOP freshman, who campaigned on their love for the Constitution, but in just three months voted to pass legislation which violates a cornerstone of that document.  I am curious what part of the Constitution they are claiming justifies them to ignore the Constitution.

“Another nuance of their joke is that the Republican Party is not to blame for the lack of a budget for FY 2011.  In fact, the budget passed the House and only failed to pass the Senate because the 41-person Republican Minority filibustered it.  They seem to have forgotten that.  They are also harping on how Members of Congress should not be paid in the event of a shutdown.  That’s something that Democrats agree on, so much so that the Senate already passed such a bill.    The House Republicans chose not to vote on that and instead attached it to this ridiculous ‘deem and pass’ legislation.  Their humor is wearing very thin.

“Today, as too many Americans continue to look for work, and the economy recovers from the devastation caused in the previous Administration, they are focused on this nonsense.  Instead of passing job legislation, the Majority has decided to subvert the process.   I wish this were a joke, but sadly it is not, and the American people are not laughing.  We have serious issues facing our nation.  We need to address the debt, but we need to do it together and we can’t do it the Republican way or they will take their ball and go home.  This is not how government works, and they should know better.

“I wish this was an April Fool’s Joke, because the alternative is that it is simply an embarrassment to the American people and people will be laughing at us, not with us.”

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