On the recordJuly 21, 2011
Madam Speaker, nearly every economist in our country and leaders from both sides of the aisle agree: Defaulting on our debt would be disastrous to our economy, to middle class families, and to our most vulnerable citizens. Yet more than 60 of my Republicans colleagues have said they will not, under any circumstances, support a plan to raise the debt ceiling and prevent another economic crisis. Since day one of this Congress, the Republican agenda has been driven by a reckless Tea Party ideology that ignores reality. Now, with the security of our economy and every American family on the line, they again choose ideology over reality. But ideology doesn't pay the bills. Middle class families can't buy groceries with ideology. You can't pay for prescription drugs with it. Mortgage bankers don't accept ideology as payment, and neither do credit card companies. Ideology doesn't provide a safety net for our seniors who rely on Social Security and Medicare. And ideology won't pay our troops serving on the front lines. No matter how many times they deny the consequences of default, the reality is not going to change. This blind adherence to an ideology is not leadership, and it's not what the American people want or desire. ____________________
