On the recordJuly 29, 2011
although the House of Representatives has not yet voted on Speaker Boehner's plan, that plan is flawed. That is why they have struggled for days to pass this inadequate legislation without a single Democrat even being involved in the process. They have plowed forward looking only to Republicans. But as the battle to pass the continuing resolution went forward to keep our government open for business just a few months ago, the Republican leadership realized they were unable to get the necessary votes for the CR and they reached out to Democrats. Speaker Boehner had to look to Democrats; he did not have enough votes. Obviously he should have looked to the Democrats again. That is the way we need to move forward on something that is bipartisan. That is how it is supposed to work, Democrats and Republicans working together for our country. The bandaid approach to the world crisis--and it is an embarrassment--to Congress, frankly to the country and to the world--is a sad commentary. United Senate Democrats, all 53 of us, have informed the Speaker that his legislation was doomed in the Senate because we would not vote for a short-term extension of the debt ceiling. It would put our great Nation on a path to another default extravaganza as we have experienced in the last few weeks. Frankly, that new extravaganza would start in a matter of weeks again.…





