Press Staff Blog
Wanted to be sure you saw this White House blog post by White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer highlighting Republican opposition to short term debt limit increases. In a quick turnaround, Republicans are arguing for short-term extensions of the debt limit, which would put our economic security at risk and create uncertainty for businesses and the markets.
Some Republicans in Congress Once Argued Against Short-Term Solutions - They Were Right
This morning, Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist made a big splash by saying that allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire in 2012 would not violate his organization’s pledge against tax increases.
“Not continuing a tax cut is not technically a tax increase,” Mr. Norquist told us. So it doesn’t violate the pledge? “We wouldn’t hold it that way,” he said. – Washington Post Editorial, 07/21/11
Key Point: “Not continuing a tax cut is not technically a tax increase,” Mr. Norquist told us. So it doesn’t violate the pledge? “We wouldn’t hold it that way,” he said.
Out from under the anti-tax pledge
Washington Post Editorial, Published: July 20
Wanted to make sure you all saw this article in the New York Times outlining the damage to our fragile economy that default would do. So far, House Republicans have refused to heed the warnings and have refused to work with Democrats on a big, grand bargain approach to deficit reduction that includes revenues.
Maybe these warnings from the Times will wake them up:
Republicans may be in denial about the catastrophic consequences of failing to ensure we pay America’s bills, but it’s clear that states will pay the price if Congress doesn’t come together on a balanced agreement to ensure we pay our bills. In case Republicans need a visual to understand the impact, CAP has put together an interactive map showing how states would be affected, with each losing hundreds of millions of dollars if we fail to ensure we pay our nation’s bills.
From the Center for American Progress:
From the Democratic Whip Press Shop:
We know that Republican debt limit antics have reached the point of absurdity when The Onion hits the nail on the head describing the Republicans’ position that’s putting our economy at risk. Republicans may be pushing our country toward default, but at least they’re pushing the bounds of satire at the same time:
Wanted to make sure you all saw this post in the Washington Post’s Plum Line blog about how House Republicans are so dug in on the deficit issue, they are not even willing to listen to Ronald Reagan.
With less than two weeks to go before America defaults on its debts, House Republican Freshman are still trying to score political points and push their extreme agenda, even if it means America not paying its bills for the first time. Or even if it means turning on their own party leaders.
As Politico reports:
While we’re all focused on talks to ensure America pays its bills and we reduce the deficit, this NY Times article caught our attention. Hypocrisy is alive and well among House Republicans:
Now that House Republicans have taken a symbolic vote on their radically ideological “Cut, Cap and End Medicare” bill, perhaps they will listen to the majority of Americans who support a big, balanced agreement and work with Democrats on a compromise that includes both revenues and spending cuts to ensure we pay America’s bills and reduce the deficit.