Schumer Talkers and Floor Remarks on The Critical Need to Avoid Catastrophic Default with Bipartisan Legislation
Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the need to pass bipartisan legislation to avoid catastrophic default following yesterday’s White House meeting with President Biden and Congressional leadership. Senator Schumer’s remarks can be viewed here.
President Biden and Congressional leaders continue to discuss spending priorities and affirm the need to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.
Everyone agreed: a default would be devastating for our country. And we must work in a bipartisan way to avoid it.
The Senate will not support a bill premised on brinkmanship. Democrats have been saying for months we cannot allow the debt ceiling to be taken hostage.
Bipartisan agreements allowed the debt ceiling to be raised without brinkmanship under Trump – twice! – and again under President Biden.
A default would be disastrous for our whole country but especially our seniors, small businesses, working and middle class families, and anyone who relies on Social Security and Medicare.
This first-ever default would crash the economy, increase costs, and kill jobs. It would plunge the U.S. into a recession and shrink our GDP.
It’s time to put aside partisan interests, protect the American people, and avoid a first-ever U.S. government default that would crash the stock market, jeopardizes retirement savings for millions of Americans, and raises costs on families.
Schumer Talkers and Floor Remarks on Judicial Nominations
Washington, D.C. – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on continued Senate Democrat efforts to fill vacancies in our judiciary with qualified and diverse candidates. Senator Schumer’s remarks can be viewed here.
On the floor, Senate Democrats continue to prioritize the confirmation of President Biden’s appointees. Today, the Senate will confirm two more highly qualified nominees to life-time appointments.
Since the beginning of this term, we have confirmed nearly 130 judges. Almost three-quarters of these judicial nominees are women. Over two-thirds are people of color.
Senate Democrats have been working to reshape the court to be more reflective of America – highlighting deserving candidates from backgrounds not typically represented in the judiciary.
Senate Democrats Tweets – RT/Amplify
Senate Democrats (new video feat Schumer, Wyden, Warren, Casey): Senate Democrats have made it clear: Default would be catastrophic—and it must be totally off the table.
Senate Democrats (new video feat Sen Bennet): @SenatorBennet has come to the Senate floor again to confirm critical military promotions. Republican Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) objected AGAIN—not because he thinks they aren’t qualified—because he wants to deny those serving in our military access to reproductive health care.
Senate Democrats (new video feat Sen Duckworth): “The nominations that my colleague is holding represent experienced professionals who if confirmed will tackle some of the biggest challenges that our military faces.” @SenDuckworth came to the floor to confirm critical noms. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) objected—AGAIN
Senate Democrats (new video feat Sen Hirono): Senator @MazieHirono: “Show me this language. You can't, because it's not there.” Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-UT) is blocking confirmation of nearly 200 Defense nominees to vital positions over his opposition to DOD policy. @MazieHirono lays out the facts:
Senate Democrats (new video feat Sen Blumenthal): @SenBlumenthal came to the floor to confirm hundreds of routine military promotions to vital positions. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) objected on behalf of Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) because they oppose access to reproductive care.
Senate Democrats (new video feat Sen Wyden): IRS enforcement worked with other law enforcement agencies on the biggest fentanyl takedown in American history. Chair @RonWyden & the former head of IRS Criminal Investigation lay out the damage done by GOP proposals to cut funding for enforcement on criminals and tax cheats:
Senate Democrats (new video feat Sen Padilla): “We are striving for a court system that looks like America...Because it brings different perspectives to the table, it enriches deliberations and it builds trust in the judicial system.”@SenAlexPadilla on Senate Democrats advancing well-qualified, diverse judicial nominees
Leader Schumer: Republicans just keep showing us over and over that they want to ban abortion across America. Democrats will not back down. Democrats will not stop fighting for women’s healthcare, for a woman’s right to choose.
Senator Wyden: It's hard to hold down a job if you're sick or drowning in medical debt. Affordable health care like Medicaid helps workers get jobs and keep them. Republicans' plan will force more American families into poverty — and that's exactly their intention.
Senator Stabenow: Republican Default Plan: -Kicks 1 million seniors off Meals on Wheels -Eliminates 30,000 law enforcement jobs -Guts veterans’ health care
Democrats’ Plan: -Makes the wealthy & tax cheats pay their fair share
Our priorities are clear.
Senator Cardin: Defaulting on our debt would be a dire self-inflected wound that won't heal quickly. We're talking higher interest rates for all Americans and a diminished global reputation. We will negotiate a budget -- but instilling such fear for political gain is wrong. #DebtCeiling
Senator Whitehouse: The Managing Director of the IMF just warned us that default “would be an earthquake” in our national and global economy. MAGA is messing with real danger with default.
Senator Tester: While China is hard at work trying to replace America as the world's greatest economic power, the folks here in Congress are threatening to crash our whole economy by defaulting on the debt. Congress needs to wake up if we want America to remain the leader of the free world.
Senator Warner: Defaulting on the national debt isn’t refusing to authorize new spending… it’s refusing to pay the bills. We can’t decimate Americans’ savings for a political hostage situation. Let’s raise the limit and discuss spending priorities as part of the normal appropriations process.
Senator Merkley: Tell Kevin McCarthy: “Take defaults off the table!” Running the economy off the cliff and cancelling social security and paychecks for millions is terrible policy and terrible politics.
Senator Murphy: Good morning. Joe Biden says default is off the table. Chuck Schumer says default is off the table. Mitch McConnell says default is off the table. The only leader who says he will prompt default if his demands aren't met is Speaker McCarthy. And House Republicans love it.
Senator Heinrich: We have a housing shortage. We need to solve it, not make it worse. McCarthy’s Default on America Act makes it worse.
Senator Duckworth: Same ol' Republican party. Always looking out for the ultra-wealthy tax cheats, never the hardworking taxpayer.
Senator Hickenlooper: Happy #InfrastructureWeek! Our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law just keeps on delivering! See for yourself
Senator Padilla: Extreme MAGA Republicans have attacked our democracy, attacked our constitutional rights, and now they're threatening to attack America's economy by forcing us to default on our debt for the first time in history. The American people deserve better.
Senator Welch: This is why the Inflation Reduction Act was a monumental advancement to combat climate. Two new programs funded by the IRA will invest more than $11 billion in clean energy across rural America.
Senator Fetterman (thread): Speaker McCarthy’s debt default plan would cut food assistance for nearly 40,000 people in Pennsylvania. This is just cruel. No one I’ve ever met wants to stay on SNAP for life. They need it to make ends meet.
I sure didn’t come to Washington to take vital assistance away from working people at the same time big bank CEOs nearly crash the economy and get to jet off to Hawaii scot-free. I cannot in good conscience support a debt ceiling proposal that pushes people into poverty.
We’re already addressing SNAP in a bipartisan way in the Farm Bill. But with default looming, jamming through harmful cuts to that program is reckless. It’s time to stop playing games and guarantee the full faith and credit of the United States.
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Julietta Lopez
Director of Community and External Affairs
Charles E. Schumer
United States Senate Majority Leader