Remarks

On October 2, House Appropriations Interior Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson gave the following statement on the House floor in support of H.J. Res. 70, Open Our Nation Parks and Museums Act:

"Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this important legislation to fund the operation of the National Park Service, the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Holocaust Museum, and the National Gallery of Art.

"Mr. Speaker, I spoke yesterday about some of the effects of the government shutdown which began a couple of days ago. With each passing day, we hear of more and more impacts resulting from the shutdown across the country and in our nation's capital.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers spoke on the House floor today in support of H.J. Res. 84, the Head Start for Low-Income Children Act. The House passed this bill on a vote of 248-168.

The Chairman's statement follows:

"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present H.J. Res. 84, the Head Start for Low-Income Children Act. This bill provides federal funding at the current, post-sequester rate for the Head Start Program – which millions of children across the country rely on to fulfill their educational and health needs.

"As we work our way out of this government shutdown mess, we shouldn't let some of our most vulnerable citizens – low-income children with no recourse – suffer. In my home state, Kentucky, 20,715 kids rely on Head Start to provide a helping hand.

"If we don't do anything about this today, 2,800 kids in Kentucky will lose access to Head Start starting November 1.