Washington Review, October 4, 2013

This week has been one of the most challenging weeks of this Congress. As of today, the government has been officially shut down for 4 days. That is 4 days too many. On October 1st, 800,000 federal employees woke up to discover they could not work and, therefore, would not be paid. Partisan tactics have now become a reality as thousands of Americans anxiously wait to find out when they may return to work and receive the salary that supports their families.

This refusal to pass a clean spending bill to keep the government funded must stop.  Keeping our government open and operating is a basic, and extremely important, function of Congress. I urge my colleagues to bring a clean continuing resolution (CR) before the House of Representatives for a vote to eliminate further damage to our recovering economy and continued uncertainty for the American people.

As Congress continues to debate a spending bill, the October 17th deadline to raise the debt ceiling is rapidly approaching. Failure to raise the debt ceiling could prove catastrophic for the U.S. economy as well as the global economy. The U. S. dollar and treasury securities are at the center of the international financial system. A default would be unprecedented—markets could freeze, the value of the dollar could plummet, and U.S. interest rates could skyrocket. These negative events could lead to a financial crisis far worse than what we experienced during the economic crash of 2008.

We must ensure economic stability for the future of our nation.  Thus, it is my hope that Congress will come together to raise the debt ceiling well before the deadline.  Raising the debt ceiling does not involve authorizing or appropriating new funds, rather it allows the Department of the Treasury to pay bills that the U.S. has already incurred. It is a necessary measure at no cost to the American taxpayer.

I understand this has been a challenging week for American workers and families across the nation. I will continue fighting to reopen the government and pass a measure that raises the debt ceiling in a timely manner. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to contact me through my website, Facebook or Twitter.  

Thank you for reading my Washington Review.