G. K. Butterfield: “The clock is ticking, and we must act now on increasing our debt limit. The American people must understand that…”

“The clock is ticking, and we must act now on increasing our debt limit. The American people must understand that increasing the debt limit will enable us to meet obligations that have been incurred by Democratic and Republican Congresses in years past. Defaulting on these obligations will not only wreak havoc on the American people; it will weaken our overall economy. The Republicans have been given opportunity after opportunity to help craft an acceptable, long-term debt reduction plan that would include a debt limit increase, but Republicans have slow-walked us to the brink of collapse. The Republican plan is to imperil Medicare and Medicaid. Republicans want to balance the budget by forcing the government away from government-sponsored Medicare and provide vouchers so seniors can purchase coverage from private insurance companies. Republicans want to shift the Medicaid responsibility to States that are already struggling to balance their budgets. Republican budget cuts will force doctors, hospitals and other health care providers to leave the Medicaid program entirely. The Republican strategy has been evolving for a long time, and now it is revealed. Shame on you. Shame on the Republican majority. ____________________”