Disapproval Resolution Relating to Debt Limit Increase

Floor Speech

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Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member for yielding.

I hope that we have learned from 3 weeks ago, and that we are not easing down the road to brinksmanship once again. Every American will pay another heavy price if some of our colleagues are able to again trigger another shutdown of the government.

I agree with President Obama that the full faith and credit of our country is not negotiable. If there are colleagues who are thinking about it, I would urge you not to do it. Don't create higher mortgage costs. Don't cause investors to lose on their retirement plans. Don't cause doctors and hospitals to wonder whether or not they are going to be paid for treating Medicare and Medicaid patients. Don't cause student loans to go up. Don't create anxiety for more than 10 million seniors who will be wondering whether or not they are going to get their Social Security checks. Don't create concern among veterans who will be wondering whether or not they are going to get their disability benefit checks.

Anybody that might be thinking about it, I would urge you not to do it. Don't attempt to hold the debt ceiling hostage. I would say, as it was said in the Book of Isaiah, Come and let us reason together, because if we don't, then the whole country will suffer. Come and let us find the way to work in a way that our problems can be dealt with. I believe that we can do it. It has been done before.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I end with: let's do it. Let's show the American people that we can work in a bipartisan way and solve the problems and meet the needs of the people of this country.

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