Establishing the Commission on Freedom of Information Act Processing Delays

Floor Speech

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Mr. President, if there is one thing in this long, difficult debate there is no question about, one thing all of us have long known, one simple truth we must get past if we are going to avoid default, it is that any bill to get us out of this crisis will need Democratic and Republican votes. There is no partisan solution--no other path, no magic trick at the eleventh hour. There is just compromise. After all the bluster, all the back and forth, and all the posturing, there is just the bill we have before us today. It is a bill that doesn't have everything that all of us want. It is not the bill that any one of us would have crafted, if we had our way. But it is a bill that can and should be passed to avoid an economic catastrophe that would leave families in every single one of our States reeling.

I understand that compromise has been hard to come by in these negotiations, no matter how hard we try. But with Senator Reid's bill, we have taken the Republicans at their word. We have come to the negotiating table and have put forward a plan that goes to great pains to meet every one of the criteria they have called for.

They said they wanted cuts that exceed the debt limit raise. This bill delivers that. They said they wanted no new tax revenues. This bill delivers that. They said they wanted to put in place a process to make even more cuts later. This bill delivers that. They have said they too want to avoid default. This bill is our way out.

I know my Republican colleagues don't want to see us default. I know while we don't see eye to eye on all issues, we all fight for the people of our States. So I know my Republican friends are hearing the same things from families in their home States that I am hearing from mine. I know their offices have been flooded with calls and e-mails from families trying to figure out what they would do if the support they depend on to stay in their homes or put food on their table is suddenly cut off. I know they are hearing from the same seniors and veterans and college students with the same message: Put America first. Get it done. Compromise.

I got a letter just like that from Anne Phillips, from Tacoma, WA, who, after 18 years working, was laid off during the recession. Anne told me about how she felt she was doing the responsible thing by getting up and dusting herself off and going back to college. But now, she said, she is worried sick because of the fact that the interest rates on her student loans, which she relies on to pay for her school, would shoot up if we defaulted. In her letter, Anne made clear who the real victims of this default would be. She said:

Ultimately people like me, my husband, my family, and all the people I know, who are doing their best every day to make a contribution to society will pay the expense.

I also heard from a woman named Brenda Starkey and her husband, retired Navy veterans from Republic, WA. They told me if we don't meet this challenge, they may not be able to afford Medicare payments or VA medical copayments, not to mention basic necessities such as food or electricity or water. Brenda wrote:

I was taught in school about Henry Clay and his great compromise. I still believe this is the way our government is supposed to work, with both sides giving some ground until a common position is met. We deserve more from our government.

I also heard from Social Security recipients such as Alisa Terry from Bellingham, WA, who told me how important that monthly check is to her and just what it would mean if it didn't go out next month. She said, simply:

Social Security is my lifeline. It stands between me and homelessness.

This isn't just about politics; it is about these people and millions more who may not even realize their well-being is on the line today. It is about average American families whose credit card interest rates would skyrocket. It is about homeowners whose mortgage payments will increase by over $1,000 a year. It is about rising food and utility and gas prices and what that would mean for our already cash-strapped families, and it is about retirement plans that would plummet.

These Americans are looking for real leadership and a real solution to this problem. They don't want more games or gimmicks or short-term patches. For anyone who believes a short-term extension is a good idea, I want everyone to envision what that would mean.

Imagine we are right back here on the brink doing the same thing in 5 short months, only now we are 5 or 6 months closer to an election and the battle lines are drawn deeper than they are today, and we are also smack in the middle of one of the most important economic times of the whole year for retailers and consumers, the holiday season. Imagine what the effect of this crisis and this standstill would feel like then. Imagine holiday shoppers worried that their credit card interest rates are going to shoot up or that next month's mortgage payment is going to break the bank or retailers reluctant to stock their shelves or hire because they are worried about a major disruption in the economy or seniors on Social Security worried their check will not be mailed and their heating bill will go up, not to mention veterans or college students or our troops who would, once again, be put in the spiral of anxiety and insecurity at the holiday times.

They don't want to relive this. America doesn't want to go through this again, and they shouldn't have to--nobody should. That is exactly why we need to come together now.

As I said before, the bill in front of us this evening is not ideal. But it gets us to where we need to get to today to protect our families and small businesses across America from market uncertainty and the threat of default. This legislation does make deep and serious cuts to government spending. It does protect Medicare and Social Security benefits that we promised to our seniors and it puts the country on a more sustainable fiscal track and allows us to continue working to reduce the debt and deficit without the threat of economic calamity hanging over our heads again.

Democrats have compromised and compromised again and again, and this bill that is before us now is the fruit of those compromises. It is also the last and best hope of preventing us from defaulting in a few short days on the full faith and credit of our Nation for the first time in our history. There is no other choice. The markets are waiting and watching. Credit rating agencies are waiting and watching. Countries around the world are waiting and watching. But, most important, the American people are waiting and watching. I hope we pass this bill.

I yield the floor.

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