Press Release
“This morning’s report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reaffirms what most economists already know: our long-term budget picture is not sustainable, which is why we need to build on the deficit reduction we have already achieved, and revenue must have a place in any successful solution to bring our deficits down over the long term.
House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI), along with Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Rep. James McGovern (D-MA), sent the following letter to Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Douglas Elmendorf requesting an analysis of the economic impact of House Republicans’ legislation that cuts nearly $40 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and denies vital food support for four to six million low-income Americans. The letter asked that the CBO include the impact of these cuts on economic growth and jobs in any analysis of the bill.
“I'm sure that it will renew the discussions about access to weapons that can be used to kill a lot of people quickly. … what we have seen in so many of these instances are that the perpetrators have given previous indication of instability, even inclinations to use weapons, and to talk about violence. So there was no doubt this was somebody who had a record of instability and certainly should have been, I think, subject to closer scrutiny, particularly in access to a facility such as the Navy Yard, or any facility that has large numbers of people in it, that has security concerns in the United States.”
Hispanic Heritage Month, which began on Sunday, is an opportunity for all Americans to reflect on the many ways in which Hispanic cultures have enriched our nation and how Latinos have contributed so much to our national life.
“Five years ago, our nation faced the most dangerous financial crisis since the Great Depression when our financial and housing markets neared collapse as a result of unsavory practices by some of our county’s largest banks. Had it not been for emergency, bipartisan steps taken by the Congress and the Bush Administration, we might have witnessed economic catastrophe.
“My thoughts are with the victims and the families who lost loved-ones in today’s tragic shooting at the Washington Navy Yard. Many of those who serve there in military and civilian roles live in my district, and while we do not yet know all the details about who carried out this terrible shooting, there is no doubt that it has shaken the Navy, the greater Washington D.C. community, and our nation as a whole.
“Clearly, I don't think we can allow [the negotiations] to be used as a delaying tactic. This has to be either real, as Secretary Kerry pointed out, specific, and immediate, but whether it's days or weeks, but certainly not longer than weeks where we get to a place where we think this is real.
“Fifty years ago this Sunday, four young lives were tragically cut short as a bomb ripped through the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. That heinous attack, a result of the hatred and bigotry of segregation and Jim Crow, opened the eyes of so many Americans to injustices they could no longer ignore.
“I’m proud to join Americans across the country in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. From our earliest days, Latinos have contributed to building a strong America and fighting to ensure that our nation lives up to the full promise of its democracy.
“As you saw we had the 41st vote on the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, today. Notwithstanding that, we didn't do anything else. That bill won't have any future. And we did not do what we need to do, and that is ensure that the government doesn't shut down on October 1st.