Mike Thompson: “I thank the gentleman for yielding and his great leadership in regard to the issues that we are dealing with today.…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding and his great leadership in regard to the issues that we are dealing with today. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. Madam Speaker, our national debt rose $7.8 trillion under the last President, a Republican President. My Republican colleagues voted for that spending; raising the debt ceiling is about paying those bills. But my Republican colleagues who claim to be the party of fiscal responsibility don't want to pay their bills. Well, the Republicans are risking economic Armageddon to score political points against a Democratic President. If we don't pass this bill, unemployment numbers will skyrocket, markets will tumble, Social Security payments will be delayed, borrowing costs will go up, so that means for car loans, for home loans, for farm loans--all of that, because of their irresponsibility--will be out of reach for most Americans. It will be a catastrophe. Madam Speaker, it is time to stop playing games, political games, and raise the ceiling, as we have done many times before in a bipartisan way.”