i thank you and i want to introduce now my good friend, mr. sarbanes of maryland. mr. sarbanes: thank you, congresswoman norton. i want to thank congresswoman norton for her bill, which would make sure that contractors are paid retroactively. i want to thank don beyer for his efforts on behalf of our federal employees. this is not just about making sure that we get people back to work. there's a lot of stress on federal workers because they know the job they need to do, and they know that that work is piling up. they're sitting at home. they're not getting paid. they know that the stack is getting taller and taller. if you're somebody who has to process these tax refunds for americans all across the country, you know that work will be there. you want to be in your office doing the work. you want to be issuing those mortgage applications. you want to be issuing those permits. you want to be handling the tax refund requests because you have a sense of mission. all the federal employees that we represent, and each of us here today has tens of thousands of federal employee

mr. sarbanes: i thank the gentleman for yielding. madam speaker, i rise in support of the rules package being put forward by the democratic majority and in particular, i want to applaud the decision to establish a select committee on the modernization of congress and i want to thank chairman mcgovern. i want to thank speaker pelosi and all those who made this a priority. we know that the best motives of members on both sides of the aisle are too often frustrated by dysfunction in the legislative process, which then makes it difficult for us to deliver on the promises that we give to our constituents and to the nation. diminishing congressional outside and at interests in the legislative process and those are interests who don't always have the public interest in mind and, of course, we know modern day campaigning demands are running members ragged. we are increasingly unable to study the material and build the relationships necessary for a healthy legislative institution. we have a responsibility to the people to build a congress tha

[applause] mr. sarbanes: i want to thank everybody for coming. i do want to acknowledge there are in this room many, many grassroots organizations and groups who have been part of this effort to restore our democracy over the last few years and few months and decades. i thank them for their continuing efforts to give people their voice back. thank you for being here. i want to salute the new members who came to congress with this of reform pinned to their chest. they understand it wasn't just a message they were delivering, it was heard as a promise and that's why they want to deliver on this promise. but i want to close by talking to americans out there across the country who i know in many instances are hanging on by a thread. their cynicism is deep. their skepticism is broad. they don't know whether they can get their democracy back. they spent too long on the outside looking in. but as john lewis has said many, many times, don't give up. and don't give in. the democratic majority wants to give you your voice back with h.r. 1, which is literal

[applause] mr. sarbanes: i want to thank everybody for coming. i do want to acknowledge there are in this room many, many grassroots organizations and groups who have been part of this effort to restore our democracy over the last few years and few months and decades. i thank them for their continuing efforts to give people their voice back. hank you for being here. i want to salute the new members who came to congress with this of reform pinned to their chest. they understand it wasn't just a message they were delivering, it was heard as a promise and that's why they want to deliver on this promise. but i want to close by talking o americans out there across the country who i know in many instances are hanging on by a thread. their cynicism is deep. their skepticism is broad. they don't know whether they can get their democracy back. they spent too long on the outside looking in. but as john lewis has said many, many times, don't give up. and don't give in. the democratic majority wants to give you your voice back with h.r. 1, which is literally

mr. sarbanes: i want to thank everybody for coming. i do want to acknowledge there are in this room many, many grassroots organizations and groups who have been part of this effort to restore our democracy over the last few years and few months and decades. i thank them for their continuing efforts to give people their voice back. thank you for being here. i want to salute the new members who came to congress with this of reform pinned to their chest. they understand it wasn't just a message they were delivering, it was heard as a promise and that's why they want to deliver on this promise. but i want to close by talking to americans out there across the country who i know in many instances are hanging on by a thread. their cynicism is deep. their skepticism is broad. they don't know whether they can get their democracy back. they spent too long on the outside looking in. but as john lewis has said many, many times, don't give up. and don't give in. the democratic majority wants to give you your voice back with h.r. 1, which is literal

mr. sarbanes: i thank the gentleman for yielding. madam speaker, i rise in support of the rules package being put forward by the democratic majority and in particular, i want to applaud the decision to establish a select committee on the modernization of congress and i want to thank chairman mcgovern. i want to thank speaker pelosi and all those who made this a priority. we know that the best motives of members on both sides of the aisle are too often frustrated by dysfunction in the legislative process, which then makes it difficult for us to deliver on the promises that we give to our constituents and to the nation. diminishing congressional outside and at interests in the legislative process and those are interests who don't always have the public interest in mind and, of course, we know modern day campaigning demands are running members ragged. we are increasingly unable to study the material and build the relationships necessary for a healthy legislative institution. we have a responsibility to the people to build a congress tha

following week's pay, i think if you ever really looked at those people, i think that he would say, mr. president, keep going, this is far more important. >> congressman sarbanes, is that how your constituents see it, there's a higher purpose than their pay? >> no. i think that's an incredibly cynical view and assertion for the president to make. he is sacrificing the livelihood of these federal employees to this obsession with building a wall. that's not fair. it's not respectful of them. we need to move past this government shutdown. let's get the government reopened. let's make sure that those workers are being treated fairly, and let's get back to where they can deliver the services that the american public expects. let's get that done, let's have a conversation about smart border security, and let's keep moving forward. but the posture that the president is right now -- is in right now is irresponsible and in my view it's a failure of leadership. >> all right. thank you very much, congressman sarbanes, i appreciate your time tonight. >>> and next, why president trump says he can't