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"America is less than a week away from easily preventable default – leading to recession, hundreds of thousands of lost jobs, and an interest rate spike – and House Republicans are playing brinkmanship with legislation that has zero chance of becoming law," said Congressman Garamendi. "If the President and this Congress were delusional enough to support this radical legislation, we would be right back here in six months with an even worse default crisis in an even more polarized political environment. Congressional Republicans need to stop playing games and start walking back from the abyss."

I support the ongoing negotiations to use the legislative process to raise the debt limit and responsibly reduce the deficit. However, If Congressional Republicans insist on gutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, student aid, and food safety as an absolutist precondition to raising the debt limit, then I encourage the President to simply pursue the Constitutional option fail-safe already available to him.

"Americans want jobs," said Congressman John Garamendi. "They want to go back to work and support their family. Additionally, the only way to address our long term deficit problem is by creating jobs. It is incumbent upon all political leaders to develop a jobs agenda. The elements of a successful program are in this report and in the Make It In America agenda. Now, let's get to work, putting people back to work."

"We have no right at this time, or any time in the future, to harm those who are on Social Security. Period," Congressman Garamendi said.

"As a resident of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta for more than three decades, I want to thank President Obama and Secretary Salazar for understanding the importance of a comprehensive water policy that meets the water needs of farmers, fishermen, cities, and threatened natural habitats. This research in Solano and at the Delta will go a long way toward charting an informed path forward grounded in current use patterns and science," Congressman Garamendi said. "The WaterSMART Program promotes precisely the types of cost-effective forward-thinking infrastructure and research investments we require to meet the needs of everyone who needs safe and reliable water – which is all of us."

"In America today, fourteen million workers are out of a job through no fault of their own," Congressman Garamendi said. "Even in this difficult economic climate, we have reason to hope and a reason to act. We can create manufacturing jobs and Make It In America again."

"I’ve been in public service since the 1970s, and I’ve seen some really bad bills, but H.R. 2560 is probably the most radical legislation I have ever seen introduced with the support of a party’s leadership," said Congressman Garamendi, who previously served as California’s State Senate Majority Leader. "This legislation is designed to create an easily preventable and Republican-orchestrated crisis with the debt limit – taking the full faith and credit of the United States hostage – as an excuse to destroy Medicare, Medicaid, WIC, food safety, and every federal service that helps strengthen seniors, students, and the middle class."