Press Releases
Frankel Joins Colleagues in Letter to Speaker Boehner Urging House GOP Leadership to End Threat of Another Government Shutdown or Default
Boca Raton, FL,
October 31, 2013
strongA day after budget negotiations began between Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate, Congresswoman Lois Frankel today joined 177 of her colleagues in a letter to Speaker John Boehner calling on him and House Republican leadership to publicly declare that they will not use the threat of a federal government shutdown or default as a political tactic in budget talks. Citing the economic damage caused by the recent 16-day government shutdown and threat of default, Frankel and the Members emphasized that Congress must work together to pass a responsible budget agreement and take the dual threats of a shutdown and default off the table. “The 16-day-long federal government shutdown is over and default on America’s debt has been averted, although no one is relieved that this latest crisis ever occurred,” the lawmakers wrote. “The most powerful source of uncertainty to American families and businesses is the threat of a government shutdown and default on our debts. That is why we are writing to you to urge you and your leadership to publicly declare that you will not again use the threat of a government shutdown or default as leverage in the important discussions regarding long-term deficit reduction and economic growth.” On October 16, Frankel voted for a bill that ended the reckless shutdown and made sure America paid its bills. That bill funds the government through January 15, 2014 and ensures American can pay its bills through February 7, 2014. The full text of the group’s letter is below: October 31, 2013 Honorable John Boehner Dear Mr. Speaker, The 16-day-long federal government shutdown is over and default on America’s debt has been averted, although no one is relieved that this latest crisis ever occurred. Now, we are deeply concerned that the American people are in danger of another shutdown or threat of default early next year. The most powerful source of uncertainty to American families and businesses is the threat of a government shutdown and default on our debts. That is why we are writing to you to urge you and your leadership to publicly declare that you will not again use the threat of a government shutdown or default as leverage in the important discussions regarding long-term deficit reduction and economic growth. The American people depend on their elected representatives to be problem solvers and get our work done. When we fail to do our job, however, it is not the American people who should pay the price for our inability to reach critical agreements. The cost to our nation is too high. The absence of paychecks to hundreds of thousands of federal employees during the course of the shutdown caused real economic hardship to those employees and their families and to private businesses whose livelihoods were affected by the shutdown. Ratings agencies and economists from across the political spectrum agree that the shutdown and threat of default took a real toll on our economy and that the possibility of repeating these crises is causing ongoing uncertainty and economic weakness. • Standard & Poor’s estimated that the recent shutdown cost our economy $24 billion and reduced 4th quarter GDP growth by 0.6 percent. The shutdown triggered higher short-term interest rates, adding $100 million to the federal budget deficit in the last week of the shutdown alone. And Standard & Poor’s said that the threat of another shutdown and possible default weighs heavily on the economy. “The short turnaround for politicians to negotiate some sort of lasting deal will weigh on consumer confidence, especially among government workers that were furloughed,” the agency said in its October 16 report. This sobering economic hardship should have never been visited upon the American people. The shutdown and threat of default were unnecessary and costly. Congress has voted itself 90 days to reach a long-term budget agreement. We respectfully request that Congress work hard to reach an agreement sooner than that and that you and your colleagues in leadership remove the threat of another shutdown or default on America’s debt as a weapon in these talks. We are working in good faith to meet our responsibilities and achieve the goals set out in last week’s agreement to open the government and avoid default. All House Democrats and some Republicans voted for that agreement. By acting now to take the threat of another shutdown or default off the table you can provide certainty and economic relief that American families and privates businesses desperately need. Sincerely, Rep. Elizabeth H. Esty |