On the recordJanuary 8, 2014
If there were a Hippocratic oath of legislating, it would prescribe that we, above all else, should do no harm, but we have a habit of violating that foundational precept. We have allowed unemployment insurance to 1.3 million Americans to expire, and that will not help our economy and will cost 200,000 jobs. In 1 month we face the recurring hostage-taking ritual that has become raising the debt limit. These debt limit showdowns have a real cost to our economy. The Government Accountability Office found that delayed action in 2011 resulted in $1.3 billion in higher borrowing costs. We can avoid that cost by enacting permanent reforms to the process like the ones employed in the recent debt limit adjustments. I introduced last year H.R. 233, which would permanently shift the role of Congress to disapproving debt ceiling increases instead of approving them and allows the debt limit to be raised unless a supermajority of Congress votes to block the increase. I encourage my colleagues to join me in pursuing these permanent and necessary reforms. Avoid the replay of the hostage-taking and brinksmanship of last year, and take the steps to avoid doing any more unnecessary harm to American families. ____________________
