Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023

Floor Speech

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Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the ranking member, for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, paying America's bills isn't an option. Defaulting on our debt would have a consequence for every single American and, in fact, would have global consequences. It would increase every families' costs. It would eliminate millions of jobs, and threaten the retirement security of seniors and families all across this country.

Let me be clear: We shouldn't be in this position. We shouldn't be close to default. It is a manufactured crisis. The House Republican majority created this crisis because they didn't have the will to submit their ideas to the legislative process, rather holding us all hostage to exact this price, to exact this legislation when we could have simply gone through the legislative process of making decisions about the priorities for this country.

They have the majority on the Appropriations Committee, on the Ways and Means Committee, and on the Budget Committee. They ought not fear the argument over these issues. We need to make sure that we accept the fact that we have come to a compromise to protect Medicare and Medicaid. It protects the American people from catastrophic default. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3746.

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