With Only Four Legislative Days Remaining, Bipartisan Action is Needed to Provide Certainty and Stability to Our Economy
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
With the year coming to an end, and only four scheduled days remaining on the legislative calendar, I was pleased that House Democrats and Republicans were able to come together this week to take action on several critical priorities. On Thursday, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2015, an important piece of legislation to strengthen our Armed Forces and support our troops. While I am concerned that the bill did nothing to close Guantanamo Bay or address the fiscal impacts of next year’s sequester cuts, it was important to send a defense authorization bill to the President before the end of 2014. The House also passed a bill to extend tax credits and deductions for 2014. While I voted for this piece of legislation, I have serious concerns that it does not provide the long-term certainty that Americans deserve. I will continue to urge my colleagues to provide the certainty families and businesses need by passing long-term, fiscally responsible tax reform that will grow our economy and support job creation.
While I am pleased that the House was able to take bipartisan action on these two important issues, there is still more work to be done before Congress adjourns next week. If the House does not pass a bill to fund the government by December 11, our country will experience another harmful, costly government shutdown. The American people cannot afford another shutdown, and it is time for House Republicans to work with Democrats to reach a bipartisan agreement. The House can also support the stability of our economy by following the Senate’s lead and passing a long-term, multi-year extension of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act before it expires at the end of this month. This is an issue that has strong bipartisan support and is crucial to providing the business community with the confidence it needs to invest in creating more jobs here at home. I will continue to urge House Republican leaders to listen to the business community and their own Members by bringing this issue to the Floor for a vote.
With these critical issues remaining, it is important for House Republicans to shift their attention to productive policymaking and work with Democrats to address these priorities, as well as immigration reform. Instead of wasting time trying to undermine the President’s executive actions to strengthen our borders and keep families together, as they did this week, House Republicans should work across the aisle to bring a bipartisan, comprehensive immigration reform bill to the Floor. It has been over 500 days since the Senate took bipartisan action, and it is time for the House to do its part to fix a system that everyone agrees is broken.
Sincerely yours,
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DEMOCRATIC NEWS UPDATE
Hoyer Statement on the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014
Hoyer: Congress Needs to Effect Fiscally Sound, Long-Term Tax Reform to Grow Our Economy
Hoyer Remarks at Press Conference Urging House Republicans to Pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform
FACT SHEET: 20 Must-Read Quotes About Republicans' Shutdown Showdown