Chris Deluzio: “The bill our Republican colleagues forced through the House, the default on America act, is rubbish. They are…”

“The bill our Republican colleagues forced through the House, the default on America act, is rubbish. They are threatening to push our economy off a cliff unless we slash the basic functions of government by massive amounts, but they are protecting tax cuts for billionaires. It is the very definition of fiscal irresponsibility and recklessness. In the bill forced through several weeks ago with no Democratic votes, with four Republicans voting against it, House Republicans voted for massive cuts with zero protections for veterans' healthcare, for rail safety, for Meals on Wheels for seniors, and so much more. They voted to pull back $2 billion from the VA. That is a cut. Now, their appropriations bill underfunds the Cost of War Toxic Exposure Fund by nearly $15 million. If they didn't want to fund veterans' care, they shouldn't have sent Americans off to 20 years of war. Do you know why Republicans are taking these extreme positions, these unpopular positions the American people do not want? Because what matters most to them is protecting tax cuts for the uber wealthy and for the largest and most powerful corporations in this country. Former President Obama once said, there could be an asteroid coming to Earth, and the Republican plan and response would be tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy. It is true. They are for the big corporations and the rich and powerful. That is who they are. That is their core value. This approach is fiscally irresponsible.…”