Barbara Kennelly: “this past Sunday, there was a large, black headline in the Washington Post. ``Default,'' it said--with an exclamation…”

“this past Sunday, there was a large, black headline in the Washington Post. ``Default,'' it said--with an exclamation point. It was a frightening story, depicting the cascading effect of a U.S. Government default from worldwide currency markets to home mortgages. Fortunately, it was a story that has not yet come true. And more and more Members are now saying publicly that they do not think it will come true. But the question remains: If no one wants a default, and if everyone understands that the debt limit must be raised, and if a majority of the House and Senate are willing to take the tough but necessary vote to do so--why have we not done so yet? Lifting the debt limit should not be a matter of politics, but of governance. Ensuring that it is done should not be a question of partisan leverage, but of leadership. As the sponsor of critical legislation to pass a clean debt ceiling, I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this bill. I further urge them to sign the discharge petition that would bring this legislation to the floor. And above all, I urge: Pass a clean debt ceiling now.”