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.
The Republican rhetoric blame game machine should hopefully come to a screeching halt after everyone got a glimpse of Speaker Boehner’s power point presentation selling sequestration as their tool to cut spending (and let’s not forget that Republicans first proposed it in their Cut, Cap, and Ba
Well, we can’t say we’re surprised. Despite the warnings from our economists and defense leaders about sequestration’s disastrous impact, the response from Republicans is simple: we don’t care. Just see today’s article from The Hill, “GOP Lawmakers Don’t Fear Political Impact of Sequester,” where Republicans are still rooting for the irrational sequester:
“President Obama is right when he warns of the serious consequences to our economy and national security if Congress fails to compromise and prevent the automatic budget cuts known as sequestration. Sequestration is an arbitrary, irrational policy that was intended to bring both sides to the table. Unfortunately, House Republicans have refused to bring an alternative to sequestration to the Floor for a vote.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
If Congress fails to act, two weeks from today, the Republican policy known as sequestration will take effect. Sequestration's extreme, arbitrary, across-the-board spending cuts would severely damage our recovering economy and threaten our national security. For the past eight weeks, House Republicans have failed to bring a single piece of legislation to the Floor to prevent sequestration from happening.
“Two weeks from today, if Congress fails to act, the Republican policy – the Republican policy – of sequestration will take effect.
“Mr. Speaker, there is not time to debate in the time I have available how we determine federal pay. I was a sponsor of the Federal Employee Pay Comparability Act, which [President] George Bush signed back in 1990. I know a little bit about this. But America is confronting a sequestration that will have devastating impact on our economy, on every individual in America and on international confidence in America's ability to manage itself. And what have we spent two days on? A quarter percent cap on cost-of-living adjustment for federal employees. A quarter of a percent.
This week, House Republicans are wasting time and taxpayer dollars on yet another bill that targets middle-class federal employees. Instead of working on a comprehensive plan to prevent sequestration and reduce the deficit in a balanced way, Republicans are continuing their attack on the federal workforce by freezing their pay for the third year in a row.
“Mr. Speaker, we are on the brink of achieving the Republican policy of sequester.
While we’ve all been hoping for Republicans to take a reasonable approach to averting the sequester, it looks like it was just wishful thinking. Just this morning, Speaker Boehner met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and insisted that legislation to avert the sequester originate in the Senate.
“Unless Congress acts, in two weeks sequestration will take effect, severely damaging our economy and our national security. In the seven weeks this Congress has been in session, House Republicans have failed to bring a single piece of legislation to the Floor to prevent sequestration from happening. Democrats, meanwhile, have now introduced serious alternatives in both the House and the Senate that are balanced and that will avert the sequester’s most painful effects.