Himes Laments Lack of Bipartisanship in Wake of Unifying Military Victory

Statement

As he travelled back to Connecticut upon conclusion of the week's votes, Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) lamented the lack of bipartisanship in Washington following the successful effort by the President, military, and intelligence personnel to eliminate one of America's greatest enemies. While Americans stood unified in support of the mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden, Congress lost an opportunity to use that goodwill to garner support for the tough decisions required to reduce the deficit and keep the economy growing.

"At a time when Americans feel more unified than ever, the House Majority continues to push through its ideological policies that have nothing to do with creating jobs or setting our country on a path toward fiscal sustainability," Himes said. "If we can beat Osama bin Laden, we can conquer our budget and economic problems, but we need to approach those matters with the same type of bipartisan resolve that united us after this victory. We have a window of opportunity that we can't afford to squander."

When Congress convened this week, the House Majority continued to pursue its divisive legislative agenda instead of taking the opportunity to reach across the aisle as Congress did after September 11, 2001. It was businesses as usual in Washington this week as the House Majority held votes to undermine women's health care, eliminate access to health care in schools, and expand tax breaks for oil companies, all while doing nothing that would create jobs or improve the nation's fiscal situation.

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