02.25.14

DEBT LIMIT: Murray Calls for Compromise and Bipartisanship Following GOP Turnaround On Debt Limit

Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chairman of the Budget Committee released the following statement after the Senate vote on a clean debt limit bill.

“I am pleased that Congress has put the latest round of threats and brinkmanship firmly behind us, hopefully for the last time. We have taken another basic but critical step toward showing the American people that their leaders can focus on the real challenges workers and families face, rather than getting caught up in the manufactured crises we’ve seen far too many of in recent years.

While I’m disappointed that Republicans took a few drama-filled weeks before they realized their attempts to keep the Tea Party happy were pointless, the legislation we passed today to take the threat of default off the table shows that an important message has gotten through.  In a divided government like ours, the all-or-nothing, irresponsible approach we’ve seen when it comes to paying our bills on time just doesn’t work. You can’t get everything you want—and the only way to get some of what you want is through compromise and bipartisanship.

Going forward I hope we will be able to find a way to compromise more often, as we did in negotiations on the bipartisan budget agreement Chairman Ryan and I reached last year.  We should be coming together to boost the economy and get more workers back on the job, to tackle our long-term fiscal problems fairly and responsibly, to reform our broken immigration system, and to do everything we can to ensure the hardworking families we serve have the chance to reach their goals and get ahead. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to tackle these and many other challenges in the coming months.”

 

###