Representative Tom Cotton (R., AK) appeared on the House floor Friday, to urge the Senate to pass funding for the WIC program. While the Senate has found time to pass a resolution calling next week national chess week. They still have not passed funding for WIC or the NIH.
Below is a transcript of Rep. Cotton (R., AK) speech:
TOM COTTON: I want to thank the gentleman from Alabama. Yesterday, I introduced legislation that would ensure the women, infants and children nutrition program remains funded during government shutdown. Today, I am very grateful to my colleagues for swift action to fund this important program. In Arkansas, W.I.C. benefits 42,000 kids, 24,000 infants and 2,000 moms. Fortunately, the Arkansas department of health reached an agreement earlier this week with the U.S. Department Of Agriculture to fund the W.I.C. program, though only on a week-to-week basis. Moms and kids shouldn't suffer because Senate Democrats have shutdown the government to protect their special perks and political allies because that's what's happened here, madam the House Of Representatives earlier this week passed a continuing resolution that would fund the government to include funding in part Obamacare and we asked that the Senate Democrats only accept two simple principles. That the White House and congress follow the same Obamacare rules as the rest of America and that if Barack Obama is going to give big businesses a one-year break from Obamacare, then families and workers should get the same one-year break. But Senate Democrats refused to fund the government with those simple terms, the terms that congress should follow the law as they imposed on the American people and that workers and families should get the same breaks as small businesses. I know there are many -- as many businesses. The Senate earlier passed a resolution calling next week national chess week. Now, that's obviously an urgent matter for this country, but women and kids in need shouldn't be political pawns in the Senate's game. So I say to the senate, let's put aside partisanship and pass this legislation for the kids. Just as we did earlier this week for the troops. I yield back.