Garamendi Votes Against Republican Bill that Would Put Country on Verge of GOP-Manufactured Default in Six Months

WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman John Garamendi (D-Fairfield, CA) today joined all Democrats in Congress in rejecting radical Republican legislation that would likely cause the U.S. to default in six months if ever signed into law. This legislation includes $2.5 trillion in cuts, mostly in Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, in two steps over six months. Even more radical than the legislation Republicans attempted to pass yesterday, this bill would require passage of a so-called “balanced budget amendment” (BBA) in six months in order to raise the debt ceiling again. Since the BBA, which can’t exist without destroying Medicare, is nowhere close to the two-thirds support required under the U.S. Constitution, this plan would guarantee that the United States defaults on its debts. The bill passed by a 218-210 vote, with no Democrats in support.

"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."

"This legislation even includes a proposal that gives a mere third of Members of Congress veto power over all revenues. Under this bill, it would be easier to eliminate Medicare than to end subsidies for Big Oil. Minority rule has cost California thousands of jobs and led to painful and pointless cuts to In Home Supportive Services and nursing homes for seniors, drastic increases in tuition, and significant reductions in teachers, police, and firefighters," Garamendi added. "Congressional Republicans now want to spread the pain nationally. This plan would destroy Medicare and gut Social Security and Medicaid/MediCal, and I will not stand for it."

Congressman Garamendi supports ongoing negotiations to pass a debt limit solution that includes smart revenues and targeted cuts. Garamendi would also support a clean debt limit vote to avoid catastrophic default. If a resolution cannot be reached with fringe Republicans, Congressman Garamendi would support President Obama if he chose to use the 14th Amendment to honor the full faith and credit of the United States.

"We need to Make It In America, not Destroy It In America. It’s time we moved on from this GOP-manufactured crisis and developed a short term strategy to put people back to work and a strategy over the coming decade to responsibly reduce the deficit. Let's reach a reasonable bipartisan compromise or pass a clean debt limit bill as has been done dozens of times before," Garamendi continued.