Most Americans are relieved the federal government will be fully operational again this week, but the short-term deal on the 2014 budget and debt ceiling isn’t popular on the right wing of the Republican base. I got a kick out of this “Tea Party Insult Generator” based on real comments posted to House Speaker John Boehner’s Facebook page.
Of the members of Congress who may run for president in 2016, only Representative Peter King of New York voted yes on the deal to reopen the government (the House roll call is here, and the Senate roll call is here). King isn’t a real contender for the GOP nomination anyway; he would be running for president to send a message.
House Budget Committee Chairman and former Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan voted no last night, as did Senators Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Ted Cruz. After the jump I’ve posted statements from all of those politicians about the deal. Their talking points will make a good impression on likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers, even if the events of the last few weeks have hurt the GOP on the generic Congressional ballot.
Any comments about the federal budget, debt ceiling, or next presidential campaign are welcome in this thread.
Statement from Paul Ryan, October 16:
Ryan on Washington’s Missed Opportunity
October 16, 2013
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin issued the following statement on tonight’s vote:“Today’s legislation reopens the government and averts default. It rejects Democrats’ demands to increase spending. And it sets a precedent for further changes to Obamacare.
“But it’s also a missed opportunity. To pay our bills today-and to make sure we can pay our bills tomorrow-we must make a down payment on the debt. Today’s legislation won’t help us reduce our fast-growing debt. In fact, it could extend the debt ceiling well into next year, further delaying any action. In my judgment, this isn’t a breakthrough. We’re just kicking the can down the road.
“That said, I hope both sides will work together in the months ahead to pay down the debt, provide relief for families, and grow the economy. I look forward to convening the first conference on a budget resolution since 2009. And though a budget resolution by itself can’t resolve our spending problem, I’m committed to making a bipartisan budget conference a success.”
Statement from Senator Rand Paul:
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Sen. Paul Opposes Senate Debt DealOct 16, 2013
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. Rand Paul today voted no on H.R. 2775, as amended, that will suspend the debt ceiling until February 7, 2014 and fund the government to January 15, 2014.“Tonight, a deal was struck to re-open the government and avoid the debt ceiling deadline. That is a good thing,” Sen. Paul said. “However, our country faces a problem bigger than any deadline: a $17 trillion debt. I am disappointed that Democrats would not compromise to avoid the looming debt debacle.”
Senator Marco Rubio focused on giving false hope to his admirers:
Oct 17 2013
We Will Prevail Because ObamaCare Is Going To Be A Disaster
Interview on FOX News’ “Hannity”
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio
October 16, 2013Senator Marco Rubio: “We have missed a golden opportunity to do something about it. But we haven’t given up the fight. The one thing I want people to understand is: They should not feel depressed about this or discouraged about the long term of it. We are going to prevail on this issue. It is just a matter of time. We will prevail because ObamaCare is going to be a disaster. And it won’t be long before many people in this town will be scrambling to try to fix it.”
Permalink: http://www.rubio.senate.gov/pu…
Oct 16 2013
Rubio: The Real Crisis Remains
Rubio: “As for ObamaCare, it too will be judged harshly by history. And that is why I am personally so disappointed that we were not able to achieve any meaningful changes to it. But this fight is not over. It has really only just begun. For in the months to come, millions of Americans will begin to confront the costs and the consequences of this law.”U.S. Senate Floor Speech
Senator Marco Rubio
Washington, D.C.
October 16, 2013
VIDEO LINK: http://youtu.be/7GB_UKibugI
Senator Marco Rubio: “It now appears that at some point this evening, we will reach the end of the latest Washington manufactured crisis of the month. But unfortunately the real crisis facing our country remains. And that real crisis is the growing sense among our people that we are losing the American Dream.“Why do people feel this way? Because more than 4 million Americans have been out of work for six months or more. Because millions more find themselves stuck with jobs that do not pay enough for them to live the way they used to. And while their paychecks aren’t growing, their bills are. Ask the young couples and the single parents how much they’re spending every month to provide child care for their children. Ask the students, the young Americans who are stuck with thousands of dollars in student loans that they’re now struggling to pay. This is the real crisis facing America. That our status as a land of opportunity seems to be eroding. And that so many of our political leaders seem oblivious to this.
“And now, as we emerge from this latest standoff, we have done nothing to address it. There were two issues at play in this showdown. The press coverage mixes them together, but they are two distinct and separate issues and they should be examined that way. It started with ObamaCare. A law that was sold to people as something that would help them get affordable health insurance. But that is not what it is going to be. We have all heard the news of what a fiasco the rollout of the exchanges has been. But as bad as the rollout of the exchanges and the website has been, we need to realize, that was supposed to be the easy part. The most difficult and disruptive parts of that law are yet to come.
“In the months to come, a new insurance fee – a new tax on hardworking Americans – will be added to insurance policies. People will be required to give up existing coverage that they are happy with if it doesn’t meet the standards created by ObamaCare. And if they don’t buy the insurance, they eventually will have to pay a tax that goes up to either $695 a year or 2.5% or your income. Employers with more than fifty full-time employees will be required to offer a certain type of coverage to their employees, so many of them are moving people to part-time work. And full-time is no longer defined as 40 hours, it’s now 30 hours, so many employers are moving employees to under 30 hours a week.
“Today, for many Americans ObamaCare is just a website that doesn’t work. But in the months to come, this law is going to hurt millions of people. It’s going to cost them hours at work and maybe even their job. It is going to cost them the insurance they have now and are happy with. It is going to force them to leave their existing doctors. And it is going to raise rates for people who buy insurance for themselves.
“What do we tell these that are being hurt by this law? To deal with it because it is the law of the land? Is it not our job to fight for them? Is it not our job to be their voice? To protect them from the harmful effects of this law? And that is why I continue to believe that we should not waste a single penny more of taxpayer money on this damaging law. One of the most important powers and responsibilities that we have as members of Congress is the power of the purse. It’s under our Constitution. It gives the Congress the power to decide what to spend money on and what not to spend money on from the taxpayer.
“I know of no one in my party who supported shutting down the government. On the contrary, we argued that we should fund the entire government except for one thing, ObamaCare. In fact the House of Representatives passed a law that did just that. But the Democrats took the position that either we fund ObamaCare or we fund nothing at all. They took the position that funding ObamaCare was more important than funding the government. They were willing to put our country through this government shutdown just to save their pet project. Within days of this showdown, by the way, a second issue was added to this, the federal debt limit. The press portrays the debt limit as simply a law that allows us to pay our bills. And therefore, they fall for the argument that failing to raise the debt limit equals a default on our debt. But the debt limit is a lot more than just simply permission to pay our bills.
“Every year our government is spending more money than it takes in, a lot more money than it takes in. And as the years go by, that annual deficit adds up to what we call the national debt. And it is growing at an alarming rate. The debt limit is a law that limits the amount of money the government can have as debt at any single time. But we depend on borrowed money to pay our bills. And so if we do not raise it again eventually, we will not have enough money to pay all of our bills. That should scare us. Reaching the debt limit is like when the bank calls on you to collect on the monthly mortgage payment. If you don’t pay them, your home is going to be taken away, your credit is going to be ruined and your ability to borrow money in the future is going to be hurt. But what if, because you don’t make enough money, the only way you can pay your mortgage is by using your credit card? You can’t keep doing that forever. And so when the bank calls, you pay the bill, but you also figure out what other expenses to cut so you don’t have to keep using your credit card to pay the mortgage. That is what real people in the real world would do. But that is not what we’re being asked to do here. They are asking us to just pay the bill and keep using the credit card. And let tomorrow worry about tomorrow. We can’t keep doing that forever. Because at some point, even the credit card is going to stop working.
“Yet that is what has happened here again. And so the debt will keep growing. And with each passing year, we will get closer to the day when we will face a real debt crisis. A real debt crisis, not one caused because the Congress can’t pass a bill, but one caused because no one will lend us money anymore. And that is how we arrived at the point we find ourselves at today. We have a President and a majority in this Senate that would rather face a default before seriously dealing with the debt. We have a President and a majority in this Senate that would rather shut down the government before they would shut down ObamaCare or even make any meaningful changes to it.
“Tonight the government will be reopened and the debt limit will be lifted, but our real problems are still here. And in the months and years to come, they are only going to get bigger and harder to solve. For those of us who realize this – who clearly understand that the direction we are headed threatens the American Dream and all the things that make our country special – this is the time to reflect on the way forward. Because if we do not figure out how to change course around here, if we do not figure out how to change this course our nation is on we will forever be known at the generation that ushered in America’s decline. History is not going to distinguish between Republicans and Democrats. It will judge us all harshly for our failure to act.
“To avoid this fate, we must once and for all begin to address the national debt. Not with accounting gimmicks, but with real and measureable steps. It doesn’t have to be solved in one sweeping measure. But we must begin the work of moving towards a sustainable level of spending. This will take time. Because we are still saddled by too many leaders unwilling to address the issue in meaningful way. So let’s do what we can while they’re still here. And at the same time, let’s work to replace these irresponsible leaders on the left with leaders who will finally step up and save our nation from the real debt crisis that awaits us.
“As for ObamaCare, it too will be judged harshly by history. And that is why I am personally so disappointed that we were not able to achieve any meaningful changes to it. But this fight is not over. It has really only just begun. For in the months to come, millions of Americans will begin to confront the costs and the consequences of this law. It will be the reason why they are now working part-time. It will be the reason why they lost the insurance they used to have. It will be the reason why they can’t see the doctor they have been seeing for all these years. It will be the reason why their insurance premiums have gone through the roof. We have been warning people about this for years. And we have done everything we can to keep this harm from reaching our people. But now, ObamaCare is going to start hurting real people, in real ways. And when it does, there is going to be a mad scramble in this town to fix it or get rid of it. This has happened before.
“In June of 1988, Congress passed a bill called the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act. It promised new medical benefits for the elderly, a cap on hospital and doctor’s bills, and it provided prescription medicine. But then the true costs of the program began to reach the American people. And as seniors began to learn the true cost of this new program, it fueled a revolt. At first, the politicians minimized it. They minimized the protests and refused to make any changes to it. But before long, the onslaught of calls and mail was so much, that it became impossible to ignore. Before long, Congress was in full retreat, and by 1989, it was fully replaced. For Obamacare, that day of reckoning is also coming.
“Over the last few months, I have been startled by the number of people who have told me they are ready to give up. They are ready to give up on the idea that we can make a difference. They are ready to give up on the idea that things will ever get better. But we cannot give up on America. And we cannot give up on the American Dream. We cannot give up, because where are we going to go? If this country declines, if we lose what makes it special, what is going to replace it? And so, no matter how long it takes. No matter how many disappointments lie ahead. We must never give up. And we must never accept that this way of life today is the new normal.
“As for those around the world who look at all these events of the last few days and believe that it’s evidence that our best days are behind us. You do not understand our people. Our politics does not define our country. We are a unique people. A collection of men and women with sharply different views. With different backgrounds and beliefs. We share a free society, and everyone has the right to express their views. To argue, and to battle, and to debate. Sometimes our differences bring us to points of great conflict, when the nation appears on the verge of being ripped apart at the seams.
“But yet, for over two hundred years we have been held together. Because while we are divided on many things, we are united by a powerful and timeless idea. The idea that every single person has the God-given right to determine the course of their own life. The God-given right to go as far as our talent and our work will take us. And so we argue about the best way to achieve that. And we have a tendency to put off difficult decisions until we absolutely have to make them. But we have faced greater tests before. We have not always rushed to meet the challenge, but in the end we have never failed to do so. And let there be no doubt, we will do so again.
“The day is coming, when our people will realize that the time has arrived once again to confront the challenges before us. The day is coming, when our people will do what must be done to keep the American Dream alive.
“I know it is hard to see right now, but we are one day closer to the moment when Americans will do what we have always done. We will confront and solve the challenges of our time. We will make any sacrifice and undertake any task to make sure that we leave for our children what the Americans of yesterday left for us: the single greatest nation in the history of the world.”
Oct 16 2013
Rubio Statement On Senate Debt Deal
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued the following statement on the Senate debt deal:“This debate has never been about whether to have an open federal government, but about whether we are going to fix it so that it stops spending more money than it takes in. To save the American Dream, we need decisive action to create millions of middle class jobs and stop Washington politicians from wasting taxpayers’ money on a government we can’t afford.
“I cannot support this deal because it postpones any significant action on pro-growth and spending reforms and does nothing to provide working class Americans even one shred of relief from ObamaCare’s harmful effects.
“Until we tackle the real threats to the American Dream, we are going to continue finding ourselves in these kinds of messes. America is better than this, and the American people deserve better.”
Representative Peter King of New York said the plan to defund Obamacare “made no sense” and tweeted yesterday afternoon, “The agreement to reopen the government is a victory for America and a defeat for @SenTedCruz.” King called out Cruz in harsh terms.
“I don’t mean this in an egotistical way, I’m the only one who’s been going after Cruz by name,” King told me. “And there’s a purpose for that, because this is going to come back again in two or three months, whether it’s January 15 or February 7 or whatever, there’s going to be a threat of another shutdown.
“And he’s going to be coming back, rewriting history, saying, ‘We were on the verge of victory back in October, and we could have won if we’d just stayed in there another week.’ And he’s going to have phone calls being made, and he’s going to have town hall meetings. And he’s going to have all those support groups out there, threatening to downgrade people on their scorecards and all that stuff.”
To King, the fault doesn’t lie broadly with Congress, but falls squarely on Cruz and his 30 or 40 “acolytes,” who put pressure on other Republicans.
“I think it’s important for people in the Republican Party around the country not to just come in at the end and say, ‘Congress was dysfunctional,’ or ‘Congress screwed up.’ That’s too easy to do,” King said. “Say who it was. Because it wasn’t Congress. It was one person who was able to steamroll Congress and unless we target him for what he is, he’s going to do it again. So I’m hoping other Republicans will join me and start going after this guy, and say we’re not going to let it happen again.”
Cruz released several statements yesterday:
Press Release of Senator Cruz
Sen. Cruz: The fight against Obamacare must continue in the face of Washington’s apathyWASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today released the following statement regarding today’s proposed agreement:
“Washington’s indifference to the plight of the American people has never been more apparent. Countless Americans all over the nation are being notified their premiums are skyrocketing. Others are losing jobs or seeing their work hours reduced, and thousands upon thousands are losing their healthcare plans altogether. All because of Obamacare.
“I am saddened to say that today, the Senate did nothing to help them. Washington did nothing. This town has created all the problems they are facing and refuses to do a single thing about it.
“The House of Representatives, however, deserves to be commended. They have taken a bold stance and listened to the American people, but unfortunately, the United States Senate has taken the traditional approach of protecting the status quo.
“Still, the deal made in Washington today provides no help to those who are scrambling to figure out how to afford insuring themselves and their families, or who are unable to get full-time work because of Obamacare. Washington decided to ignore their pain and suffering.
“Throughout this debate, I have had one standard for whether I would support any deal: ‘Does it provide meaningful relief for the millions of Americans who are being harmed by Obamacare?’ The answer is no.
“Obamacare is the nation’s number one job killer. To all the young people who are graduating from high school and college and are looking for jobs, Washington refuses to remove this obstacle that prevents them from climbing up the economic ladder. To all the single parents who are seeing their hours reduced to 29 hours to avoid Obamacare’s penalties for employers, Washington has turned a deaf ear to their pleas for help.
“As a result of Obamacare, families of special needs children will face a new penalty for using savings to pay for medical therapies and health-related expenses. That’s not part of the discussion. Seniors who are facing higher prescription drug costs as a result of this law won’t be given any consideration, either.
“Moreover, the Democrats have adopted the untenable position of forcing Americans to buy health insurance from a website that doesn’t even work. This is indefensible and indicative of the arrogance that underscores the entire law.
“President Obama promised Americans if Obamacare was made law, their premiums would drop, their taxes would stay low, millions of jobs would be created, and if they liked their healthcare they could keep it. It has failed on every single account.
“The fight against Obamacare must continue in the face of Washington’s apathy. That is where my attention will remain focused.
Cruz also delivered this statement on the Senate floor.
Cruz: This is a Terrible Deal
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
WASHINGTON, DC — Today U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) spoke on the Senate floor in opposition to the Senate deal that fails to provide relief from Obamacare to the American people:
Excerpts from Sen. Cruz:
“I rise today in opposition to the deal that the Senate is getting ready to vote on. This is a terrible deal. This deal embodies everything about the Washington Establishment that frustrates the American people. This deal kicks the can down the road. It allows yet more debt, more deficit, more spending and it does absolutely nothing to provide relief for the millions of Americans who are hurting because of Obamacare.
“This fight was always about the American people who are hurting because of Obamacare, and unfortunately today the United States Senate is saying, you don’t have a voice in Washington. I would ask you, Mr. President, to imagine a different world. We saw in the last two months millions of Americans rise up, sign a national petition, light up the phones to the Capitol, and speak up against the enormous harms Obamacare is visiting upon them. We saw the House of Representatives stand with courage and listen to the American people.
“Mr. President, I ask you to imagine a world in which Senate Republicans united to support House Republicans. Imagine that one piece being different from what we saw. Imagine after the House Republicans stood together with the American people, if all 46 Senate Republicans had stood together and said, we are united against the train wreck that is Obamacare, we are united with the American people that if President Obama is going to give an exemption for big business, for members of Congress, that the American people deserve that very same exemption.
“I want you to imagine, Mr. President, if Senate Republicans had stood together and simply supported House Republicans and the American people. Mr. President, I want you to imagine what would have happened if all 46 Senate Republicans had united and gotten together and said, the House of Representatives has passed a bill funding the V.A.
“I want you to imagine, Mr. President, all 46 Senate Republicans, if we had stood together and simply supported the House Republicans in saying, the House of Representatives has voted to reopen our national parks, to reopen our war memorials, and the Majority Leader of the Senate refuses to allow the Senate even to vote.
“Mr. President, I want you to imagine simply that Senate Republicans had stood together and said, we support the House Republicans in standing with the American people. Mr. President, if that had happened, this result, I believe, would have been very, very different. It is heartbreaking to the American people that Senate Republicans, divided as they did and decided to direct their criticism, direct their attention, direct their cannon fire at House Republicans and at those standing with the American People.
“And yet, Mr. President, what we’ve seen in the last two months has been extraordinary. Millions of Americans speaking up in overwhelming numbers saying, Obamacare isn’t working. Mr. President, the unions are jumping ship. Democratic members of The Senate and the House went to the President and said, we want to be exempted from Obamacare. This law isn’t working. And it is worth reflecting on how extraordinary it is to see the American people rise up in such incredible numbers and to see The house of Representatives engage in what I consider to be a profile in courage, standing with the American people.
“The answers are not going to come from Washington. Washington is broken. But the answers are going to come from the American People. And so, Mr. President, I am today encouraged. I am encouraged by the millions of Americans who want to get back to our free market principles, get back to the constitution, and stop this train wreck of a law that is the biggest job killer in this country, that is hurting people all across the country.
“Mr. President, it is sad that today the United States Senate is telling people all across this country who are struggling, who are trying to provide for their kids and who are getting notifications in the mail ‘your health care has been dropped.’
“Now, maybe you have an elderly parent and that health care policy is providing for that [person] and your family. Maybe you have children facing debilitating diseases, and yet you get a notification in the mail saying, your health care has been dropped because of Obamacare.
“Mr. President, it is sad that the U.S. Senate says we will do nothing to answer your plight. We created your plight, but we will do nothing. Mr. President, it is sad that when you have Hoffa, the President of the teamster, saying that Obamacare is destroying the health care of millions of working men and women in this country and the families that depend upon them, that the U.S. Senate says we’re closed for business, the Washington Establishment has exempted itself, so the problems, the suffering of working Americans is not the concern of the Washington Establishment.
“That is sad, but at the same time, I am optimistic. I am inspired by the millions of Americans who have risen up. And if the American people continue to rise up, I am confident that in time the U.S. Senate will follow the lead of the House of Representatives and listen to the American people. That is our job. That is our responsibility.
“This is a terrible deal today. It is a terrible deal for the American people. But, at the same time… if the American people continue to rise up, we’re going to turn this around. We’re going to restore jobs, we’re going to restore economic growth, we’re going to restore the ability of people struggling to climb the ladder and achieve the American dream, and we’re going to stop the number-one job killer in this country that is Obamacare.”
Speaking on Fox News on October 16, Cruz said,
“This is a lousy deal for the American people. This is sadly a classic instance of the Washington establishment selling the American people down the river. This deal does nothing for millions of people who are hurting because of Obamacare… It is an unfortunate instance of the Washington establishment once again not listening to the American people.
“If Senate Republicans had united and supported House Republicans, supported the American people, we could have had a different outcome, but instead Senate Republicans divided and, in fact, actively and aggressively attacked House Republicans, attacked the effort to defund Obamacare and that’s what led to the lousy deal.
“There is reason to take heart and be encouraged. This deal was a lousy deal. But if you look at what was accomplished, a couple of months ago the Washington establishment scoffed at the idea that the American people would rise up in overwhelming numbers. The Washington establishment scoffed at the idea that the House of Representatives would stand strong against Obamacare. And what we have seen in the last two months has been incredible… We’ve also seen a model that I think is the model going forward to defeat Obamacare to bring back jobs, economic growth, to abolish the IRS, to reign in out of control spending. And that model is empowering the American people. I remain inspired because the people all over the country who rose up and made DC listen, the House of Representatives listen. And I’m confident in time the United States Senate will as well.”