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.
“Everybody believes we ought not to go off the cliff. Sequester is not a good idea, and if we went off the cliff it would have substantial adverse effects on the economy. Nobody wants to go over the cliff including, in my opinion, [Speaker] John Boehner. However, we ought not to hold hostage middle-class tax cuts.”
From the Democratic Whip Press Shop:
“On Tuesday, the American people made it clear that they support a balanced approach to bring down deficits and set our nation back on a sound fiscal path – one that does not ask working families and those struggling to get by to bear the burden of deficit reduction, but instead asks the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.
"It is shameful that House Republicans have continued to politicize the attack that killed four Americans in Libya. Our focus should be on working together to bring the perpetrators to justice, and we must ensure that those who are on our side in Libya are not hurt by the irresponsible disclosure of their names."
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after the Committee on House Administration issued a report detailing the nearly $1.5 million in taxpayer-funded legal bills accumulated over the past 15 months to pay an outside law firm to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA):
While Governor Mitt Romney and Rep. Paul Ryan tout Ryan’s record on deficit reduction, an unflattering Washington Post article tells a different story, with members of their own party criticizing Ryan’s lack of involvement on any meaningful efforts to reduce the deficit and his unwillingness to work across the aisle.
Before Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, they announced their “Pledge to America” with claims that they would focus on priorities important to the American people, such as creating jobs, restoring economic certainty, and reducing the deficit. Two years later, Republicans’ record shows that they abandoned their pledge, and instead have consistently chosen to focus on partisan political issues rather than policies to restore our economy or create jobs. Now House Republicans are adjourning until after the election, and Republican leaders are concluding their legislative agenda the same way they started it: choosing obstruction and political messaging over working together to enact policies that help Americans.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
This week marked the solemn anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. I joined with my colleagues to remember those who were lost on that day, and to pledge to continue efforts that keep our nation safe and secure.
“Today’s report demonstrates exactly why we need to replace the sequester by passing a big and balanced deficit reduction plan this year. If the sequester were to take effect in January, the consequences would be devastating to our economy and to our national security.
“Madam Speaker, this bill is another instance of this Republican caucus walking away from its responsibility. The budget sequester was never intended to be a solution in and of itself. It was meant to be the blunt instrument to force compromise. Unfortunately, compromise is a dirty word around here in some quarters.