Fiscal Responsibility
Over the years, Democrats have shown our commitment to restoring fiscal responsibility by taking actions that have reduced our national deficit while investing in the American people’s priorities. During the 117th Congress, House Democrats delivered the landmark Inflation Reduction Act, which will reduce the deficit by over $300 billion while lowering health care and energy costs and taking action on climate change. In sharp contrast, Republicans jammed their 2017 Trump Tax Scam through Congress without a single hearing, gifting trillions of dollars in unpaid-for tax handouts to the wealthiest Americans and large corporations while leaving our nation with ballooning deficits. They have repeatedly held our economy hostage to benefit their irresponsible ideological agenda, whether creating artificial “fiscal cliffs,” shutting down the government, or bringing our nation to the brink of defaulting on its obligations. With other landmark legislation delivered during the 117th Congress, including the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the CHIPS and Science Act, Democrats have worked to invest in economic recovery, job creation, all while cutting the deficit in half last year. Democrats are committed to continuing our work to restore sound, long-term fiscal management so future generations can afford to invest in opportunities, secure the American Dream, and ensure workers have the tools to Make It In America.
As the Republican government shutdown continues, we are less than two weeks away from another manufactured Republican fiscal crisis on the debt limit. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew offered a stark warning in USA Today about the economic harm of America not paying its bills. Here’s a snippet:
With the Republican strategy of shutting down the government over the Affordable Care Act facing sharp criticism across America, here’s confirmation that their strategy doesn’t get any more popular when it comes to paying our nations bills, according to a new poll by CNN/ORC International:
“I thank the Gentleman for yielding. There is not a Member of this House who does not respect and support the veterans of this country. The Gentleman who just spoke talked about preventing pain. What we want to do is prevent pain not only to veterans, but to children, to families, to teachers, to medical professionals, to farmers, to all those who every day rely on the federal government to be in operation. Not piecemeal, not choosing between this and that, between the winners and the losers.
"[The Affordable Care Act] was hard-fought. We now see the first day in my state literally tens of thousands of people were signing up… . They were so excited about having, finally, access to affordable quality health care and have insurance.
“[Republicans] shut down the government. They think that gives them leverage to accomplish what they couldn't accomplish in the election and it's harmful to the American people. The losers are not the silent majority in the Republican Conference. The losers are the American people. Their government is now shut down. Their government is not available to serve them as they want themselves served, as it ought to serve them. Clearly, Americans want an efficient, effective government but they don't want no government.”
“Here, the issue is not numbers because we’ve taken the Republican number for funding in this interim…. We’ve adopted their number. We’ve said OK, we’ll agree with your number.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
I am deeply disappointed that House Republicans wasted this week without taking any meaningful action to avert a government shutdown or ensure our nation pays its bills. Today the Senate passed a bill to keep the government open while we continue to debate broader fiscal issues.
Looks like things aren’t so friendly among Republicans in the Senate. Here’s what Senator Lindsey Graham had to say about Republicans threatening to shut down the government over an unrelated, partisan issue:
To anyone who thought that House Republicans had a secret plan up their sleeves to get them out of the box they’ve put themselves in, think again. CNN covers the incompetence, featuring the best quote we’ve seen thus far: “‘I think our members still want to fight. What that means, I don't know. I don't know that they know,’ one senior House GOP leadership aide told CNN.”
Yikes.
More bad headlines for the House Republicans leadership after they failed to secure votes for their “everything and the kitchen sink” strategy on the debt ceiling. After desperately trying to appeal to their most extreme and conservative faction by presenting a lengthy wish list of favorite GOP policy ideas – most of which have nothing to do with debt reduction – in exchange for addressing the debt ceiling, conservatives still were not happy.