Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson Joins the Congressional Democrats in Signing a Discharge Petition to Reopen the Government

House Democrats filed into the House chamber one by one to sign the discharge petition

Washington, DC – (Saturday, October 12, 2013) –  Today, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson signed a petition to reopen the government. This special congressional procedure, known as a discharge petition, allows a majority of members to bypass Speaker Boehner and force an up or down vote on a bill to reopen the government. The federal government has been closed since October 1, 2013, and Republican leaders have repeatedly refused requests from Democrats and some Republicans to pass a funding resolution without controversial items and reopen the federal government. 

“We must get the United States government re-opened so we can continue to provide the critical services this country needs. I joined my Democratic colleagues to sign the discharge petition that will allow a vote on a bill to reopen the government,” said Congresswoman Johnson.  “This shutdown is hurting people throughout Texas and threatens the country’s economy.  I am urging my Republican colleagues to come together in the spirit of bipartisanship to end this crisis by signing onto the discharge petition.”

The government shutdown has hurt the middle class and our economy, and will get worse as it continues.  Costing taxpayers up to $300 million a day, it has stopped critical loans to small businesses and slowed the processing of veterans disability claims. The shutdown has prevented NIH from taking new patients and halted life-saving medical research and stalled much-needed housing loans for American families.

The discharge petition for H. Res. 372 would allow an up or down vote on a clean continuing resolution, providing funding through November 15 at a compromise level requested by Speaker Boehner. This discharge petition only needs a majority of House members to sign on and does not require any action by the Republican leadership.

Discharge petitions have been proven successful in the past in bringing up legislation for consideration.  

• According to a Congressional Research Service study, seven discharge petitions have received 218 signatures over the last 30 years. And in all seven cases, the majority party agreed to bring the measure to the House floor.

• 12 measures were allowed to be brought to the House floor even before the discharge petition reached the full 218 signatures. 

You can see which Members of Congress have signed onto the discharge petition in real time by visiting the House Clerk’s office here: http://clerk.house.gov/113/lrc/pd/petitions/DisPet0005.xml

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U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson is the ranking member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the highest-ranking Texan on the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure. She represents the 30th Congressional District of Texas, which includes Downtown Dallas, Fair Park, Kessler Park, Old East Dallas, Pleasant Grove, South Dallas & South Oak Cliff; all of Cedar Hill, DeSoto, Duncanville, Hutchins, Lancaster & Wilmer and parts of Ferris, Glenn Heights, South Grand Prairie, Oak Lawn, Ovilla, Uptown/Victory Park and West Dallas.