Political Quotes

“I rise to speak about the budget and the debt ceiling, following the Senate's failure to invoke cloture on a measure expressing that shared sacrifices from all Americans--including the wealthiest--are necessary to reduce the budget deficit. As the Senate Budget Committee chair has proposed, we must reach an agreement that strikes a balance between raising revenues and cutting spending, in which all Americans contribute to the solution. Congress faces an important task. Americans are following this debate because they have a stake in its outcome. If we do not raise the debt ceiling, it will force the government to choose which of its many obligations it will meet. As President Obama pointed out last week, we cannot guarantee that veterans and Social Security recipients will receive the checks we owe them on August 3 if we fail to reach a compromise. If we fail, we will damage our credit rating and worldwide confidence in our financial system. To avoid such a situation, I call on all of my colleagues to negotiate in good faith so that the creditworthiness of the United States is not compromised. I hope we can reach an agreement that will bring down the debt without placing most of the burden on the vulnerable among us--the sick, the poor, the long-term unemployed, and the elderly. While we must reduce spending, we cannot forget to continue investing in our Nation's future.…”