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PRESS RELEASE: First Year Democrats Support Discharge Petition and Ask for a Simple Up and Down Vote to Open Government

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE       

 

October 9, 2013  

                                                                    

PRESS CONTACT:  Brenda Lopez 956.544.8352                                                                                                                                       

 

Washington, D.C. – Today, Reps. Filemon Vela, Pete Gallego, Beto O'Rourke, and Marc Veasey announced that they will support a discharge petition introduced last week by Reps. Chris Van Hollen (MD), George Miller (CA), and Nita Lowey (NY).

 

A discharge petition is a procedural mechanism in the House of Representatives which allows a bill to be brought to the floor for a vote without the support of the Speaker of the House.  It provides a way around the Hastert rule--a tactic which requires a majority of the Republican Members of Congress to support a bill before it can be brought for a vote by the full House of Representatives.  

 

Pursuant to House Rules, if a majority of House Members sign the petition, a funding bill which does not include any extraneous provisions like repealing the Affordable Care Act, will be brought before the full House for an up or down vote.  Once a majority of House Members sign the discharge petition, a vote on such a measure known as a "clean" continuing resolution could occur as early as October 14th. 

 

"Currently, the Speaker of the House refuses to allow a vote on a clean CR funding bill which thwarts the intent of the majority of the House of Representatives," said Rep. Vela.  "The federal government shutdown, has had adverse impacts felt across our county including jeopardizing funding for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Head Start Program."  

 

“No issue is worth shutting down the government and denying pay and salary to millions of men and women who commit themselves to public service to make our nation a better place,” said Congressman Pete P. Gallego (TX-23). “Families are depending on us to help them receive their paychecks to put food on their table. Small businesses need the financial assistance to operate and create jobs. And our military families deserve the protection and certainty from their government as they have provided to our nation.  I call on my colleagues – Democrats and Republicans – to push for a vote on the Senate-passed funding measure to reopen the government.”

 

 “The 43,000 El Pasoans employed by the federal government facing furlough and uncertainty deserve an up or down on a budget bill with no strings attached," said Rep. Beto O’Rourke (TX-16).  "It will pass the House and allow the government to reopen tomorrow. It’s time for the House to put politics aside and do what is right.”

 

“As a freshman member of Congress, I am disheartened by this Republican shutdown and its effects on the American people," said Rep. Marc Veasey (TX-33). “The DFW-region is home to roughly 62,000 federal workers who have been impacted by Republican unwillingness to bring a clean CR to the floor and allow a vote.  The American people shouldn’t have to wait any longer. This discharge petition will allow my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support an up or down vote on a clean continuing resolution and end this shutdown as early as this weekend.”

 

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