Political Quotes

“I congratulate the budget negotiators on reaching an agreement last night to roll back the painful and arbitrary cuts of sequestration and prevent another dangerous government shutdown in the new year. Their bargain also protects Medicare and Social Security benefits and reduces the deficit. That is a good package. I commend Budget Chairman Murray and her House Republican counterpart Congressman Paul Ryan for their diligence and cooperative spirit which made this agreement possible. The process that led to this accord was long and very difficult. The Republican government shutdown--the first in 17 years--took a toll on our economy, on American families, and on our reputation around the world. It was also costly for the Federal Government in many different ways. So when Congress reached a temporary settlement that ended the shortsighted shutdown, Democrats were committed to ending the terrible cycle of lurching from crisis to crisis. But understand this: When this measure went to the House of Representatives--it passed here to keep open the government, after 16 days; to stop the government from defaulting on its debt for the first time in history--about 75 percent of the Republicans in the House voted to keep the government closed and to default on the debt. Think about that.…”