John Joseph Moakley: “this bill is a very very bad sign. It means it's time to hold onto your hats, the Republicans are going to try it again.…”

“this bill is a very very bad sign. It means it's time to hold onto your hats, the Republicans are going to try it again. But this time, instead of closing down the Government for political reasons, they are going to try something else. They are going to force the country to default on its loans, for political reasons. And how do we know this, Mr. Speaker? Because this bill we are considering today will not avert the disastrous consequences of massive Federal default. It doesn't even come close. It simply says, ``Stop us before we hurt 43 million American seniors.'' With this bill my Republican colleagues are admitting, ``We're gong to make the Government default, but we want you to raid the Social Security trust fund when we do.'' Mr. Speaker, this is outrageous. It's irresponsible, and it's no way to run the Congress. The American people are sick and tired of these political games. They didn't like their Government held hostage for the sake of politics, and they are going to like it even less when they find out what congressional Republicans are about to do to their mortgages. And it won't stop there. For the sake of politics my Republican colleagues will stop benefits for 3.2 million veterans. For the sake of politics they will not pay our troops in Bosnia. For the sake of politics they will delay pensions for 4.1 million civilian and military retirees. For the sake of politics they will leave bond holders holding worthless paper.”