Debt Ceiling Crisis

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. SEWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise to demand that Speaker McCarthy and my Republican colleagues in the House return so that we can pass a clean bill to prevent a devastating default.

Let me be very clear. We, as Members of Congress, have a solemn obligation to pay our Nation's bills and to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.

We have never defaulted on our debt, but this time, House Republicans are refusing to address the debt limit unless we cut serious programs that Alabama families that I represent need most, like veteran benefits and food assistance for our seniors and children.

Madam Speaker, this is a manufactured crisis. Republicans could pass a clean debt ceiling bill but chose not to. We passed such a bill three times under the Trump administration.

Today, Republicans have chosen to send us home instead of doing our job. Our job is to protect the American people and to make sure that the full faith and credit of the American Government stands. It has never been in default and shouldn't be in default now. This is a dereliction of duty.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source