Posted on 07/21/2011 3:36:23 PM PDT by mdittmar
Washington, D.C. Nevada Senator Harry Reid made the following remarks today on the Senate floor about averting a default crisis. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:
We have 12 days left before our nation does the unthinkable: forever undermines the full faith and credit of our great country.
As members of Congress, we come from 50 states, but we serve one nation.
The American people deserve better than leaders who each stake out their own radical positions, forsaking the good of that nation. The American people expect us to find common ground no matter how difficult it may seem.
Every reasonable voice in America has warned us that defaulting on this nations financial obligations would not only be a blight on our reputation, but precipitate a global economic crisis.
Those warnings have come from the banking industry and the business community. They have come from our finest economists and shrewdest investors. They have come from former legislators and past policy makers from both sides of the aisle.
And they have come from reasonable people right here, in the United States Congress.
Its clear to me that we have to increase the debt ceiling. Thats what John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House, said this spring.
He also said this:
Not raising the debt limit would have serious, very serious, implications for the worldwide economy and jobs here in America.
His deputy, Eric Cantor agrees. Last week he said this about the need to avert the impending crisis:
We want to make sure that we avoid default. We want to make sure that we avoid going past August 2nd without raising the debt ceiling.
And my Republican counterpart here in the Senate, the senior Senator from Kentucky, said he would support raising the debt limit as long as Congress used the opportunity to do something really important about the national deficit.
Democrats are willing to join together with our colleagues from the other side of the aisle to do, as my Republican counterpart said, something really important.
We have already shown our willingness to make tough decisions for the sake of finding common ground even when it means drawing the ire of our own political party.
Unfortunately, the loudest voices from the Republican Party are not reasonable leaders, but Tea Party extremists.
Congress has days, not weeks, to reassure the markets that when this great nation issues an IOU we stand by it that we dont turn into deadbeats when the bills come due.
If you want to know how important this issue is, listen to the words of Ronald Reagan. This is why he said about the importance of averting this kind of default:
The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to meet its obligations. It means we have a well-earned reputation for reliability and credibility two things that set us apart from much of the world.
President Reagan took the threat of default seriously. So do reasonable Republicans in Congress today.
Yet I fear the closer we get to disaster, the further we get from a deal.
Democrats have shown they are willing to work with Republicans on any serious, reasonable plan that averts default and cuts the deficit in a balanced way.
Now its time for House Republicans to show they are also willing to get serious, too.
A plan that would decimate Social Security, Medicare and every other federal benefit while protecting hundreds of billions of dollars in special interest tax breaks is not a serious plan. Republicans so-called Cut, Cap and Balance plan doesnt have one chance in a million of passing the Senate.
The moment for partisan games is long since passed. It is time patriots on both sides of the aisle joined hands to actually govern.
I ask, will reasonable Republicans to join us in forging a compromise that is good for the county?
A fact ignored by the Hussein-fellating media.
Oh, by the way, Hussein was a senator in 2006...and, despite his pathetic history of voting "present" much of his unaccomplished life, DID manage to take a stand on this issue. Hussein said it was a FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP that caused the debt ceiling crisis.
Hussein, judged by the words of Hussein, is a failed leader.
Social programs have failed. More people are "poor" than ever before. It's time to end the war on poverty. We lost.
I agree on this part (the only part). Exactly what is the democrat base sacrificing? Anything, or will they just continue to feed off everyone elses taxes like they have for decades?
What social programs are the democrat politicians willing to sacrifice?
The taxpayers shouldn't have to sacrifice anything. They've been doing it for generations. It's time the democrat base did something - anything - for someone else. It's time they got off their lazy butts and paid the taxpayers back!
And when was it Time For Reasonable Democrats To Compromise For The Good Of The Country? Stimulus? Health Care?
Mister Reid is asking nothing; he is actually making a statement.
This is simply a rhetorical question that Mister Reid (and presumably his bosses at the WH) want to be played on the evening (and alleged) "news".
Mister Reid and Mister Obama have a certain flaw in common. When they are lying or making intentionally deceitful statements, it's as easy as pie to spot.
(As an aside, it's not really possible to "compromise" when only the GOPers have introduced legislation, and the Dems are too cowardly to do so.)
.
It is time for all liberals to STFU, resign and wander aimlessly for the rest of their loser lives for the good of the country.
There...fixed it.
Barf O Rama!!! The Republicans need to stay on point and get in front of the cameras stating that Obama created this financial mess. Repeat often, Obama refuses to balance the budget and cut spending but that he want to increase spending, raise our debt, and increase taxes. The Republicans need to keep repeating this over and over at every news conference and interview until the uninformed get the message.
In any compromise between good and evil, it is only evil that can profit.
It is time for Reid to stick one thumb in his mouth and the other up his butt and then play switcheroo.
That’s it. Sadly those who worship obama could watch this a million times and not see the similarity.
Eff you Reid. And the horse you rode in on.
Add criminal penalties - to be enforced by THE PEOPLE - against the individual congress critters, judges, and President when they grant largesse not expressly (no penumbras) allowed under the existing constitution. If the words aren’t there - explicitly - then the congressmen that vote for and the President that signs the law - and the judges that deem it constitutional - either pay for their money transfer programs out of their own pocket, or they go to jail.
Defense, etc - constitutional. EPA, etc. - NOT constitutional. Welfare - being the explicit transfer of money from taxpayers to others on the cause of the recipients need - NOT constitutional.
I’m having a VERY difficult time recalling when the liberals have ever compromised for the “good of the country”.....
I went to find that list myself and copied it to paste here on this thread. You beat me to it. I’m sure others have seen it but it can’t show up too often and needs to be circulated far and wide.
What is Washington doing about it - other than ignoring it?
Let’s paste it into an email to Reid!!!!
Get rid of all of it NOW!!!
“”The American people deserve better than leaders””
Scratch the word “than” and be done with it!
I just copied and emailed this list to Reid. I was very brief in my comments but he’ll get the message. Who am I fooling, right? Well, it feels good anyway.
Please all FReepers - do the same. Just copy it and paste it into “contact” form on Reid’s website. Bury him!
Thanks for #53 also, combat_boots.
You’re welcome, FRiend.
“Calling All Angels”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rsq72Tu7g70&feature=related
All call.
All come.
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