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| Dag Pfeiffer |
Right now, Congress has two jobs: to pass a
budget that invests in the middle class and to pay the bills it has already
incurred.
But instead of doing their jobs, a few
reckless Republicans in Congress are so obsessed with refighting old political
battles over Obamacare that they're threatening to shut down the government and
stop paying the country's bills.
On Friday, these House Republicans voted to shut down the government
unless the Senate and the President agree to defund Obamacare. This week,
instead of playing those games, the Senate is set to send a simple budget
resolution back to the House -- one that keeps the government open for a few
months while leaders continue to work on a budget that creates jobs and cuts the
deficit in a balanced way. That's a reasonable solution.
But some Republicans still care more about scoring political points
on Obamacare than keeping the government open and our economy moving
forward.
This kind of up-to-the-final-hour brinksmanship is beyond
irresponsible, and it could reverse the hard-earned economic progress we've made
by creating another crisis. Unfortunately, we've watched them run this play
before, and we know what it looks like. Two years ago, these Republicans held
the economy hostage, and as a result our credit rating was downgraded, the stock
market plummeted 17 percent, consumer confidence dropped like a rock, and
businesses stopped hiring.
That's why it's time for GOP lawmakers to pass a simple budget
resolution that doesn't defund Obamacare and move on.
We need your help to spread the word so that Americans know what's
going on, so forward this message to your friends and family.
In the five years since the financial crisis began, the American
people have pushed the economy forward. Over the past 42 months, businesses have
added 7.5 million jobs. American manufacturing is growing again, and the auto
industry is back. We've reformed Wall Street so that no company is ever again
too big to fail and created the toughest consumer financial protections this
nation has ever seen. We've cut our deficit by more than half, made the tax code
more progressive, and reformed our health care system.
Today, there is record demand for American products abroad, and our
tech companies are booming. The housing market is coming back -- sales of
existing homes are up by double digits and new foreclosures are down to the
lowest levels since the start of 2006.
We need to keep building momentum. So we're asking Congress to join
the President in creating a better bargain for the middle class, and give up on
manufacturing a new political crisis. For that to happen, reasonable
Congressional Republicans have to stand up to a few extreme members of their
party for the good of the country and our economy.
From the day he took office, President Obama has been open to any
good idea when it comes to the budget, as long as supporting middle-class
families remains our North Star. Republicans won't extract concessions over the
full faith and credit of the United States.
Will you help spread the word? Share this message so that people
know what's about to happen to the economy if Congress doesn't act.
