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Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) took to the House floor this morning to once again urge House Republican leadership to work with Democrats and moderates in their own party to give multiple issues that are top priorities for the majority of Americans – including working with the private sector to create jobs – one final push across the finish line before leaving town for the holidays. A video of Tonko’s remarks can be viewed by clicking here and a full transcript the remarks can be found below.

TRANSCRIPT:

Well, here we are again. Our to-do list continues to pile up and Republican House leadership of this legislative body – if we can even use words like “leadership” and “legislative” to describe the House anymore – has officially cemented the 1^st session of the 113^th Congress as the least productive of all time.

We have not passed a budget, have not passed a farm bill, we have not fixed the Voting Rights Act, or done anything in our charge to make the people’s voices heard in that nation’s capital.

In fact, if recent reports in DC newspapers are any indication, House leadership seems to be more concerned with planning fundraisers in New York City than getting anything done here in Washington, D.C.

The leadership of the people’s House has continued to govern by sound bites and pass messaging bills that go nowhere – even shutting down the government for more than two weeks in the process. A painful exercise and an expensive exercise.

But we’re about to call it a year and skip town with so much left undone. Our employment rate is at its lowest point in 5 years, but imagine how much lower it would be today if we would’ve worked together and focused on jobs instead of repealing the Affordable Care Act since 2011.

Rolling back sequestration and replacing it with a responsible budget that cuts where we can and invests where we must.

Passing comprehensive immigration reform to expand the American Dream to our friends and neighbors who want to so desperately contribute to the greatest country on the planet.

Updating the Voting Rights Act so that everyone is able to fulfill their basic human right and duty of going to the polls.

Increasing the minimum wage to restore dignity to those who have been forced to work two and sometimes three jobs simply to put food on the table.

Passing a Farm Bill – something that needs to be done as a routine – and empowering our nation’s family farms to ensure our national food supply remains secure and remains plentiful.

Focusing on the clear and present danger that climate change has brought to the Midwest and to our shores in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast.

I could go on and on, but I only have five minutes: tax reform, certainly commonsense gun control like expanding background checks, passing ENDA.

The fact is that there are about ten to fifteen pieces of major legislation that would improve our country and quality of life for Americans of every race, orientation, political party, and socioeconomic status. But they’re not being pushed by this Speaker and his House leadership.

Almost all of these bills, if given a simple up-or-down vote, would pass with a bipartisan majority. But House leadership continues to act in the interest of a few extremists in their own party instead of doing what is right for the American people.

I, like many of my Democratic colleagues, have signed onto a resolution introduced by my good friend Louise Slaughter, which would prevent Congress from adjourning unless the House agrees to a budget by December 13^th.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this resolution so that we stay in town until we perform at least one of our basic duties before leavings for the holidays.

The American people deserve so much more than what we have given them in the past year.

It is my hope that, when we gavel in next year, we will do so with a renewed willingness to work together and focus on the top priority for Americans, which is putting people back to work.

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