Friday, July 29, 2011

My Congressman Got Back to Me Today About the Debt Ceiling


I had an email tonight from Congressman Rush Holt.  I'm one of his constituents and he wanted to let me know the latest on the debt ceiling gridlock in Congress. Like many others I've been calling and emailing his office and making my voice heard.   Rush Holt is one hard-working, smart, honest guy who takes his job seriously.   Here is some of what he had to say in his email: to constituents tonight.
"This is an unnecessary, artificial crisis.  It is not the result of a natural disaster or terrorist attack.  It is solely the result of Republicans in Congress holding America hostage.  They are threatening a crisis unless Congress enacts their extreme, ideological agenda – an agenda that demands hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicare and Social Security, all while protecting tax loopholes for oil companies, corporate jet owners, and billionaires.

What is especially troubling is Congress has now wasted weeks in these hostage negotiations instead of doing the real, difficult work required in this economy:  putting people back to work.  Solving the jobs crisis would do far more to reduce our nation’s deficit than any plan now pending in Congress.  In fact, the long-term deficit would improve dramatically if we simply ended the Bush tax cuts for the very wealthy and Big Oil.  Removing the Bush tax cuts would do more to reduce the deficit than Speaker Boehner’s bill.


To those who insist that, by refusing to allow America to pay its bills, they can teach the nation a lesson, I ask this question:  would you teach yourself a lesson by refusing to pay your credit card bill?

The moment has long since passed to end this self-induced crisis.  Let’s raise the debt limit and move on to the real work of rebuilding the American economy."

How sane. How sensible. And what a contrast to the political circus that is going on in Washington this week-end. .  For more sane commentary on the debt ceiling crisis check out the video below.  Aren't I lucky to have such a great guy representing me in Congress?



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