Political Quotes

“I rise to address this issue of the debt limit and how we are going to go forward. I think it is important, given the conversation I have been hearing this morning, to understand some of the key features that are under discussion. The first is that the plan that came from the House last night, the Boehner plan, requires the second half of the debt ceiling to be lifted only if a balanced budget amendment is passed and sent out to the States. In other words, it puts a two-thirds vote of each Chamber basically on the process 6 months from now. What that does is it says to our Nation that we are going to be in continuous debate over this issue the next 6 months, facing a two- thirds vote that is very unlikely to happen. So this crisis is not going to end, not on August 2, not on August 3, not on August 4 but not for 6 months into the future. Then it is not going to end because we are not going to have a two-thirds vote. It sends exactly the wrong message to our business community which is waiting for a sense of stability that we are through this moment. It sends the wrong message to the international world that is looking at the question of whether they are going to buy Treasury bills. It sends the wrong message in regard to our reputation in the world.…”