On the recordJuly 28, 2011
We are faced with an important moment for our Nation: a moment of enormous economic uncertainty, a moment to significantly reduce our deficit and make the right choices for our future. The Boehner bill does neither. As a result, it has little support from either side of the aisle because it does not seriously reduce the deficit. It will ensure uncertainty in the markets for many, many months ahead, and it cuts $1 trillion over 10 years. Speaker Boehner had the opportunity, in working with the President, to reduce the deficit, not by $1 trillion but by $4 trillion, and he walked away from that plan. The Gang of Six made a bipartisan effort to reduce the deficit by $3 trillion, and he rejected that plan as well. This moment is about choices. Speaker Boehner made a choice to walk away from the plans that offered trillions of dollars in deficit reduction, and he substituted, instead, a political document with significantly less deficit reduction. This is not a serious proposal, and we have little time to avoid default. Let's stop wasting time. Members from both sides of the aisle should reject this bill because it is an inadequate response to both deficit reduction and because of the harm it will do to our Nation's economy.
