Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, 9-30-2013:

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon released the following statement about military pay and the potential of a government shutdown:

“I am grateful to the Senate for passing Rep. Mike Coffman’s common sense legislation this afternoon that protects our war fighters from the threat of a government shutdown. Our troops have endured three devastating rounds of defense cuts, fiscal uncertainty, and massive force reductions; yet they are expected to continue the stresses and hardships of deployment. It is my sincere hope that the President signs the bipartisan bill at the earliest opportunity.

“I continue to hope against hope that the President uses the heavy weight of his office to render this bill obsolete. Only the Presidency carries the gravitas to break impasses and help push the country in the right direction. A government shutdown is wholly avoidable, should the President indeed decide to avoid it.”

Lee Rogers, M.D.

Lee Rogers, Democrat for Congress, 10-1-2013:

Dr. Lee Rogers, candidate for Congress in California’s 25th District, made the following statement today regarding the government shutdown and Congressman McKeon’s role in it.

“Congressman Howard ‘Buck’ McKeon joined the most extreme wing of his party by holding government funding hostage unless he gets his way on defunding or delaying health care for millions of people. The clean continuing resolution McKeon refused to vote for is only a temporary funding measure to get the government funded through December 15. A shutdown furloughs 800,000 federal workers, closes national parks, delays disability claims for veterans, stops visa and passport processing, and makes federal loans unavailable for businesses or students.”

“Congressional brinkmanship in the past has harmed our economy, leading to losses in the stock market and a downgrading of the U.S. credit rating. Congress does seem to be good at manufacturing one thing though – a crisis. Since 2010, they’ve governed from crisis to crisis, and McKeon has been at the center of these votes.”

“Congress has a basic and fundamental duty in the Constitution, to pass bills that fund the government. Yet, the House of Representatives refuses to meet in committee with the Senate on the two spending bills or to pass a clean temporary bill to fund the government. McKeon’s solution is to only fund the government if he can kill Obamacare, which the House knows is unacceptable to the Senate and the President. He also voted for a ‘conscience clause’ amendment to the bill, which allows insurance companies and employers to deny women’s access to basic health care services.”

“People in our district care about creating jobs, having affordable and quality health care, and stopping the Cemex mine in Santa Clarita. I don’t think any of what McKeon does in Washington helps to accomplish these goals. Instead of helping the economy, it’s votes like these and his past support of sequestration that hurt businesses in our district.”

“It is time Congressman McKeon stops his partisan games and listens to the people in his district. If he does this, he will stop the process of governing by crisis and vote to pass a clean budget resolution, re-opening the government so the needs of millions of Americans will be met.”