On the recordOctober 16, 2013
Mr. President, it now appears that at some point this evening we will reach the end of the latest Washington-manufactured crisis of the month. But, unfortunately, the real crisis facing the country remains, and that real crisis is the growing sense among our people that we are losing the American dream. Why do people feel this way? Because more than 4 million Americans have been out of work for 6 months or more, because millions more find themselves stuck in jobs that do not pay enough for them to live the way they are used to, and while their paychecks aren't growing, their bills are. Ask the young couples and single parents how much they are spending every month to provide childcare for their children. Ask the students, young Americans who are stuck with thousands of dollars in student loans they are now struggling to pay. This is the real crisis facing America; that our status as a land of opportunity seems to be eroding and that so many of our political leaders seem oblivious to it. And now, as we emerge from this latest standoff, we have done nothing to address it. There were two issues at play in this showdown. The press coverage mixes them together, but there are two distinct and separate issues, and they should be examined that way. It started with ObamaCare--a law that was sold to people as something that would help them get affordable health insurance. But that is not what it is going to be.…





