Mercy for the American People

Floor Speech

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, over the past 16 days, many of us have risen to this floor and pleaded with our friends on the other side of the aisle and asked for mercy, not mercy for our individual selves as Members of Congress, but mercy for the American people, for the 800,000 over the past 16 days who have lost their jobs in furloughs, for the $300 million a day that this Nation has lost. This is the very answer to those who are suggesting that we are spending too much money, Mr. Speaker: we have lost money.

But today I come humbly to plead with my friends to do as the Chaplain mentioned this morning, to have a generosity of spirit and recognize that we can come together. Let the voices of common sense recognize that States like Mississippi, Louisiana, Arizona, South Dakota, Missouri, Texas, New Mexico, Montana, Georgia, New York, and Wyoming--States that represent so many--are losing so much because they get the most money from this Nation.

Then let us recognize Juanita Davis with little Tu'Nita, 10 days old, who is fearful that her WIC money, Women, Infant, and Children money, in the State of Texas is running out. I am pleading that we come together with common sense and generosity of spirit and put this bill on the President's desk.

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