Political Quotes

“I thank the Presiding Officer. Chairman Hatch and I will be managing this bill, and we want our colleagues to know that we are anxious to give everyone an opportunity to speak out on this extraordinarily important issue. If Senators who wish to speak come down and consult with the Finance staff--majority and minority--in our respective cloakrooms, we are going to work very hard to accommodate all of our colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Here, in my view, is what this issue is all about. Fiscal battles in the Congress come and go, but nothing should ever be allowed to threaten America's sterling economic reputation, and this legislation will preserve it. Without this agreement, the Congress is staring at a potential debt default--a debt default that would be literally days away, when the Treasury would lose its authority to borrow in order to make payments. By now, I think a lot of Senators understand the disastrous consequences of default: housing costs shooting upward, retirement accounts shrinking, jobs disappearing, and consumer confidence dropping. We also understand that no one can get particularly thrilled by the prospect of raising the debt ceiling. Yet it is a job that must be done. Our country is an economic rock in tumultuous seas, and we certainly have disagreements. Disagreements practically come with every news cycle and election. But what doesn't change is that our country pays its debts and we pay them on time.…”