On the recordJuly 19, 2011
I want to bring the debate back to real people, to seniors who've been contacting my office sharing their fears, their concerns over inaction in this Congress over the debt crisis. A widow from San Diego called to ask if she'd get her social security check after August 2, the payment she earned working hard for years and years. She doesn't know how she's going to pay her Medicare premiums, her mortgage, her grocery bills or her prescriptions. Our constituents do expect us to work together to solve serious problems. Yet we seem to be stringing the American public along here, playing games with their futures. This legislation was put together in the dark of night and brought straight to the House floor. My colleagues didn't hear from one witness on its consequences, didn't hold one hearing, and completely bypassed the regular legislative process. Instead of wasting valuable time on legislation that won't move beyond this Chamber, we should focus on forging a bipartisan solution to the debt crisis. Let's agree on meaningful and rational solutions for the long term before the debt crisis becomes worse. We can do one with job creation that won't slash health research, innovation, Medicare, Medicaid or education.
