The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is paying for robocalls attacking 60 House Republicans, including Iowa’s Tom Latham, for their intransigence in debt ceiling negotiations. Latham currently represents the fourth district but will run against Democrat Leonard Boswell in the new third district in 2012. Boswell can use the help, because Latham is building up a much bigger campaign war chest. I’ve posted the DCCC call script after the jump. Excerpt:

“Congressman Tom Latham and Speaker Boehner would rather our economy default just to protect tax breaks for Big Oil companies and billionaire jet-owners. Republicans quit negotiating with President Obama on raising the debt ceiling.

“This is serious. Latham’s billionaire buddies will be ok. But we will pay the price if government can’t pay its bills. Our Social Security and Medicare benefits are at risk. Interest rates would spike for our credit cards, car loans, and mortgages. Our 401(k) retirement accounts would drop. And, gas and food prices would skyrocket.”

That message might be persuasive if Obama weren’t begging Republicans to join him in cutting Americans’ Social Security and Medicare benefits. On a related note, Senate Democratic leaders just spent the weekend working on a deal to massively cut government spending without increasing tax revenues at all–not even from (gasp) “Big Oil companies and billionaire jet-owners.” No matter how the debt ceiling drama ends, the Democrats’ incompetence this summer will cause problems for the party’s Congressional candidates in 2012.

Meanwhile, Latham is pushing a plan B in case no deal comes through by August 2:

Under [Latham’s] bill, H.R. 2605, the federal government would prioritize payments to seniors, veterans, military personnel and “core public-safety functions” if the debt ceiling is reached and federal spending must be curtailed.

Latham said his bill is partly a response to what he called “scare tactics” that these critical payments would not be made.

“The White House and irresponsible special-interest groups have begun employing scare tactics as a means of achieving their political ends in the debt-limit debate,” he said Friday. “My legislation removes the use of these priority groups as political pawns and shields them from these contentious debates.”

No one knows exactly what would happen if Congress failed to raise the debt ceiling in the next week, but even if Latham’s bill became law, financial markets would see the federal government unable to pay all its bills. That would likely result in a downgrade of all U.S. debt.

After the jump I’ve posted Latham’s press release on what he called “safety net legislation.” It’s notable that he acknowledges the need to raise the debt ceiling, provided a “long-term plan” is in place to reduce government spending. Some House Republicans, like Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann, oppose increasing the debt limit under any circumstances.

Latham’s bill is much broader than a fallback plan introduced by Bachmann and Representative Steve King (IA-05) earlier this month. That dead-on-arrival proposal would have “set payment of military salaries and payment of principal and interest on publicly-held debt as the top priorities if the debt limit is reached.” The DCCC immediately accused King of “putting China before Iowa’s seniors,” saying his bill “would require the U.S. government to pay debts to China before ensuring seniors receive the Social Security they count on every month.” Latham may not be the brightest bulb in Congress, but he wasn’t about to walk into that trap.

Sample script of an automated call paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, July 23, 2011:

“Hi, this is Travis calling on behalf of the DCCC. Congressman Tom Latham and Speaker Boehner would rather our economy default just to protect tax breaks for Big Oil companies and billionaire jet-owners. Republicans quit negotiating with President Obama on raising the debt ceiling.

“This is serious. Latham’s billionaire buddies will be ok. But we will pay the price if government can’t pay its bills. Our Social Security and Medicare benefits are at risk. Interest rates would spike for our credit cards, car loans, and mortgages. Our 401(k) retirement accounts would drop. And, gas and food prices would skyrocket.

“Enough is enough. Call Congressman Tom Latham at (XXX) XXX-XXXX and tell him not to gamble our future to protect tax breaks for Big Oil and billionaires.”

Representative Tom Latham press release, July 22:

DEBT LIMIT SAFETY NET LEGISLATION PROTECTS SENIORS, VETERANS, MILITARY PERSONNEL FROM INTERRUPTION IN FUNDS

CONGRESSMAN LATHAM’S BILL PROTECTS VULNERABLE GROUPS FROM THE POLITICS OF DEBT LIMIT

Washington, Jul 22 – Iowa Congressman Tom Latham has introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that protects seniors, veterans, military personnel and core public safety functions and obligations in the event that the federal debt limit is not raised by the Aug. 2 deadline.

H.R. 2605, the “Protect Spending Priorities Act,” would guarantee that the federal government would use available revenues that would continue to come into the treasury to provide payments to Social Security recipients, veterans, military personnel and obligated interest on the national debt without interruption to avoid default if the debt ceiling is reached. Additionally, the legislation would also require the government to make Medicare, national security and public safety top priorities if such an event were to occur anytime after the Aug. 2 deadline.

“The White House and irresponsible special interest groups have begun employing scare tactics as a means of achieving their political ends in the debt limit debate.  My legislation removes the use of these priority groups as political pawns and shields them from these contentious debates,” Congressman Latham said. “This legislation prevents a default on the national debt and makes sure the government meets its most important obligations to the American people while we continue to work towards implementing a common-sense, long-term plan to cut spending and rein in the national debt.  It sets priorities and protects our men and women in uniform and the seniors who rely on Social Security and Medicare to make ends meet each week so that they can live without the fear of going without because of disagreements in Washington.”  

Earlier in the week, Congressman Latham voted for the Cut, Cap and Balance Act, legislation that would immediately cut the federal budget, cap future spending and require congressional approval of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution before raising the debt limit.

“We’re borrowing money faster than ever, and we need to take bold action to address the spending binge that plunged us into this crisis,” Congressman Latham said.  “Iowans understand that the most irresponsible thing you can do after you’ve maxed out your credit card is to continue borrowing even more money. If we don’t make lasting changes to how Washington spends taxpayer dollars soon, we’ll be jeopardizing the American dream for our children and grandchildren.  But this bill lets us continue those discussions in a wise and thoughtful manner without the threat of disrupting the lives and access to funds of these priority groups.”