Political Quotes

“Thank you, Mr. Dicks. There is something we have to acknowledge, whatever side of the issue we are going to vote on: we are playing with fire. A government shutdown is going to have two consequences: one, the obvious, and that is folks that depend on governmental services are going to be enormously inconvenienced. Contractors who are owed money from the Federal Government won't be paid. Our citizens are going to be adversely hurt. And folks who work honestly and hard every day for the Federal Government are going to be out of a job. That's significant. But what's really significant in the long term is that this is sending a signal to the world, not just America, that the American political process is fundamentally broken. If we are unable to reach an agreement on a 1-week continuing resolution to keep government going, what are the prospects for us when we face the challenge of a budget next year? What are the prospects for us when we face the challenge that looms ahead of us in May of raising the debt ceiling so that America can honor the obligation that it has to pay its bills? When the world begins to lose confidence that America's political process can function, it is going to have a very dramatic and negative impact on the economy. Interest rates are going to go up because the cost of borrowing will go up because the anxiety about whether America meets its obligations will increase. We are playing with fire here.…”