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Mr. BARROW of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise today as a cosponsor and strong supporter of this amendment.
Because Congress can't get its act together, more than 3,200 Department of Defense employees in my district are being furloughed. This amendment offers a simple fix to that serious problem. It's also a positive indicator of what we can accomplish if Congress is willing to come together on the issues that matter most to the folks back home.
We have a fiscal crisis, but the solution to that problem shouldn't be built on the backs of the people who didn't get us in this mess in the first place, especially since our national security depends so much on civilian DOD employees. This amendment allows for the necessary cuts in Federal spending, but it also protects the folks whose livelihoods are on the line.
Issues like this demand that we put aside our differences and find common ground. I urge my colleagues to get behind this bipartisan effort and to support this amendment to end these furloughs.
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