On the recordMarch 2, 2011
Yesterday I voted for a 2-week compromise to keep our government's most vital programs running while we negotiate an agreement to cut the deficit without hurting our fragile economic recovery. Why? Because a government shutdown would profoundly hurt all Americans, and we need time to work together to avoid that. Fifteen years ago, a hyperpartisan Congress shut down our national government for ideological reasons and furloughed over 8,500 jobs in my hometown of St. Louis. And just this morning, the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported that a shutdown could put as many as 38,000 people out of work in our region. Let's have a serious and spirited debate about cutting redtape and duplication and finding common sense solutions. Let's focus on the priorities of the American people: creating jobs and cutting the deficit. We should do so by looking at three principles. Will it create jobs? Will it help the middle class and working Americans and our retirees? And finally, will it lower the deficit? I hope my colleagues will join me in passing a funding resolution that meets these essential goals. Our constituents deserve no less.
