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Obama Tells Public To "Keep Pressure On" DC After Boehner Fails To Get House Vote
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 29, 2011
Modified Jul 29, 2011
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 29, 2011
Modified Jul 29, 2011
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As the United States' economic standing is on the brink and after House Speaker John Boehner delayed the House's vote on a debt ceiling bill last night (because he didn't have support to pass it!), President Obama addressed the nation this morning and said a bipartisan solution was needed: “I urge Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to find common ground on a plan that can get support from both parties in the House, a plan that I can sign by Tuesday."
Obama implored the public to "keep the pressure on Washington," to call, email, and Tweet their lawmakers. "We are almost out of time," he said, but added there were "plenty of ways out of this mess" if lawmakers could compromise. He said the country's AAA credit rating was at risk "because we didn't have a triple-A political system," and blasted the Republicans: "Make no mistake, for those who say they oppose tax increases on anyone, a lower credit rating would result potentially in a tax increase on everyone in the form of higher interest rates on their mortgages, their car loans, their credit cards, and that's inexcusable."
Obama also pointedly said Republicans should stop wasting their time on a bill that won't pass the Senate (like a bill that includes a balanced-budget amendment) and mentioned how plans from Senators Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) were actually not far apart. However, McConnell had stopped working with Reid on a fallback when Bohener was going to present the House bill; Reid said today, "My door is open. I will listen to any idea to get this done in a way that prevents a default and a dangerous downgrade to America’s credit rating. Time is short, and too much is at stake, to waste even one more minute."
Of course, now the House says it has the votes to pass Boehner's plan today, but it'll just be rejected by the Democrat-controlled Senate (hey, even Senator John McCain hates the balanced-budget amendment). The deadline for the debt ceiling to be raised is August 2. Senator Kent Conrad (D-North Dakota), chair of the Budget Committee, said, "Around here, you’ve got to have deadlock before you have breakthrough."
Tagged
bipartisan
debt ceiling
debt-ceiling crisis
default
economy
House Speaker Boehner
john boehner
president obama
speaker boehner
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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