Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Takano for organizing this very special Special Order so that we can talk about what is happening with our great State of California.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to once again call for an end to this unnecessary government shutdown and talk about the significant consequences it is having for the people of my district, California's 43rd.
The recession hit the people of my district hard. Delinquencies, foreclosures, and job losses crippled our economy and our neighborhoods. Five years later, we are just beginning to emerge from these hard times.
But the irresponsibility of the Republican Party has threatened our fragile recovery. Their strategy, planned and financed by extremists like the Koch brothers, Heritage Action, and the Club For Growth, is to hold the American people and the economy hostage in order to push an extremist ideology.
Their desire to eliminate the Affordable Care Act is misguided, wrong, and harmful to the American people. The Affordable Care Act is the law of the land. It has been validated by the reelection of President Obama and supported by the Supreme Court of the United States of America. It is settled law, and we should not be threatening American jobs and the American economy to repeal it.
Mr. Speaker, veterans in my district are being harmed by the shutdown. If this unnecessary stalemate does not end by November 1, the Veterans Affairs Department will not be able to issue checks to more than 5 million beneficiaries. This is unacceptable.
In addition, small businesses in my district are being severely harmed. The Small Business Administration's lending program has been stopped, and the process to obtain government contracts has also been halted. In 2012, the SBA approved over $366,000 in small business, real estate, and equipment loans every day in my district. Each day this senseless shutdown continues, hundreds of thousands of dollars in economic development all across my district is being undermined.
In Torrance, Inglewood, Gardena, Hawthorne, Lawndale, and Los Angeles itself, retail stores, restaurants, and small businesses are hurting because of the shutdown. Prominent business groups in my district, such as the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the Torrance Chamber of Commerce, California Chamber of Commerce, California Manufacturers and Technology Association, and 14 other local chambers of commerce across the State have all said that the impacts of a shutdown could be harmful and disruptive to their businesses.
The Republican Party likes to talk about how much they support small businesses, but when extremist billionaires like the Koch brothers start throwing their money around, Republicans tell small business owners, You are on your own.
The Head Start program, which has put thousands of children on a solid path to a well-rounded education, has effectively closed services in many States and regions across the country. California is no exception. I am outraged that our Nation's children are suffering the consequences of these Republican games. The Republican sequester already cut 57,000 children from Head Start. This program is a crucial lifeline in my district, combating poverty and making our communities safer, better places to live. We need to restore it today.
Finally, I want to discuss the shutdown's serious impact on California's fledgling housing market. My district's housing market is finally finding its footing after years of instability. The Republican shutdown is throwing a massive wrench in that process. A prolonged shutdown will cause tremendous harm to home buyers seeking to close on mortgage loans. These delays are detrimental to all home buyers, but particularly those who are buying for the first time.
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow will mark the first paycheck many affected employees will miss as a result of the shutdown. These are hardships many in my district cannot afford. Each day this senseless shutdown continues risks further irreparable damage to my district's economy, families, and businesses. It must end now.
Just yesterday, we heard more bad news for our State. Governor Jerry Brown announced that he will soon be forced to make the difficult decision of whether the State will pay for the continued operation of Federal programs used by millions of Californians. These include programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, subsidized school meals, and nutrition assistance for pregnant women and infants, all of which could be interrupted in November.
I urge my Republican colleagues to stop using the American people and the American economy as pawns in this debate. It is time for the Republican Party to end this ridiculous game and open the government today.
I thank Congressman Takano for organizing this very important Special Order.
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