Louis Stokes: “I rise to strongly urge my colleagues to support the passage of a clean debt limit extension bill. The American people…”

“I rise to strongly urge my colleagues to support the passage of a clean debt limit extension bill. The American people must clearly understand why this is so critical. If the Congress fails to pass the measure before the first of March, the Government will not be able to pay its bills. For the first time in history, Social Security and Veterans' benefits checks could bounce, citizens' tax refunds could be withheld, those doing business with the Government could not be paid including hospitals, and mortgage payments could increase. With so much work left to be done on critical pieces of legislation-- especially the debt limit, I strongly urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle not to recess. This irresponsible approach to the management of the Government must end. The Republicans' politically contrived shutdown of the Federal Government has already cost the country over $1.5 billion. This did not reduce the deficit, it increased the deficit. Such blatant waste must not be tolerated. The GOP majority in Congress is continuing to recklessly and needlessly place the country's economic future and seniors', veterans', and children's quality of life and standard of living at risk in order to give a tax break to the rich. This hostile takeover must end.”