The No. 2 Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Illinois’ Dick Durbin, today called Republicans "irresponsible" and "hypocritical" for their role in the impasse over raising the nation’s debt ceiling.
Durbin's comments came at a Chicago news conference to announce federal funding for CTA improvements. He said he hoped a plan being floated by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, could appease House Republicans and pass before an Aug. 2 deadline that carries potentially severe economic risks. He repeatedly warned that Republicans were putting the economy and jobs in jeopardy.
“The same Republicans who wanted us to go to war, who want us to stay in war, to spend $10 billion a month to sustain our war in Afghanistan, refuse to give the authority to the president to borrow the money to execute the war,” Durbin said. “That is irresponsible and it’s hypocritical.”
Making a reference to tea party conservatives, Durbin said there are forces within the House Republican caucus who want to bring the debate to a crisis stage.
House Republicans pushing sizable cuts in domestic spending have opposed Democratic conditions set by President Barack Obama that include new revenue from higher taxes on the wealthy and the closing of some tax loopholes.
Democrats also are refusing to back a proposal being offered by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, that would lift the debt ceiling in two steps over this year and next. Obama wants to increase the debt limit by more than $2 trillion to get the country through 2013 and past next year’s presidential election.
“This is exactly the wrong time to do this,” Durbin said of the Boehner plan, contending it won’t satisfy credit agencies warning of lowering the nation’s credit rating due to uncertainty over future debt.
“With economies failing all around Europe, with our own economy under attack by those giving credit reports, we should not be lurching from one political and economic crisis to another,” he said. “This may serve someone’s political purposes but it doesn’t serve the purpose of getting the American economy moving forward and creating jobs.”
Reid, the Senate’s top Democrat, is expected to unveil a proposal that would increase the debt ceiling past next year’s election and include $2.7 trillion in spending cuts. Durbin acknowledged that none of the cuts involve entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, which has prompted Republicans to question whether Reid’s proposal satisfies their demands.
President Obama embraced Reid’s proposal, saying it was a “reasonable approach.”
Durbin said Republicans were risking a “self-inflicted wound” by leading an “irresponsible” effort to “push us to absolute brinksmanship here.”
Illinois’ junior senator, Republican Mark Kirk, has consistently maintained he believes the debt ceiling will be extended in an 11th hour move by Congress.
Durbin also said it was his “understanding” that the failure of Congress to extend funding for the Federal Aviation Administration by a midnight deadline last Friday had stopped “workers from going to work this morning at O’Hare for modernization.” But FAA officials said that is not the case with the O’Hare International Airport modernization project, which already received funding.
Durbin’s comments came after announcing $18.5 million worth of CTA projects, including $11 million in federal funding, for rebuilding the Loyola Red Line station and for environmental studies to extend the line south of 95th Street. Construction will begin next year on the Loyola station and is expected to be complete in 2014, CTA officials said.
Durbin's comments came at a Chicago news conference to announce federal funding for CTA improvements. He said he hoped a plan being floated by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, could appease House Republicans and pass before an Aug. 2 deadline that carries potentially severe economic risks. He repeatedly warned that Republicans were putting the economy and jobs in jeopardy.
“The same Republicans who wanted us to go to war, who want us to stay in war, to spend $10 billion a month to sustain our war in Afghanistan, refuse to give the authority to the president to borrow the money to execute the war,” Durbin said. “That is irresponsible and it’s hypocritical.”
Making a reference to tea party conservatives, Durbin said there are forces within the House Republican caucus who want to bring the debate to a crisis stage.
House Republicans pushing sizable cuts in domestic spending have opposed Democratic conditions set by President Barack Obama that include new revenue from higher taxes on the wealthy and the closing of some tax loopholes.
Democrats also are refusing to back a proposal being offered by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, that would lift the debt ceiling in two steps over this year and next. Obama wants to increase the debt limit by more than $2 trillion to get the country through 2013 and past next year’s presidential election.
“This is exactly the wrong time to do this,” Durbin said of the Boehner plan, contending it won’t satisfy credit agencies warning of lowering the nation’s credit rating due to uncertainty over future debt.
“With economies failing all around Europe, with our own economy under attack by those giving credit reports, we should not be lurching from one political and economic crisis to another,” he said. “This may serve someone’s political purposes but it doesn’t serve the purpose of getting the American economy moving forward and creating jobs.”
Reid, the Senate’s top Democrat, is expected to unveil a proposal that would increase the debt ceiling past next year’s election and include $2.7 trillion in spending cuts. Durbin acknowledged that none of the cuts involve entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, which has prompted Republicans to question whether Reid’s proposal satisfies their demands.
President Obama embraced Reid’s proposal, saying it was a “reasonable approach.”
Durbin said Republicans were risking a “self-inflicted wound” by leading an “irresponsible” effort to “push us to absolute brinksmanship here.”
Illinois’ junior senator, Republican Mark Kirk, has consistently maintained he believes the debt ceiling will be extended in an 11th hour move by Congress.
Durbin also said it was his “understanding” that the failure of Congress to extend funding for the Federal Aviation Administration by a midnight deadline last Friday had stopped “workers from going to work this morning at O’Hare for modernization.” But FAA officials said that is not the case with the O’Hare International Airport modernization project, which already received funding.
Durbin’s comments came after announcing $18.5 million worth of CTA projects, including $11 million in federal funding, for rebuilding the Loyola Red Line station and for environmental studies to extend the line south of 95th Street. Construction will begin next year on the Loyola station and is expected to be complete in 2014, CTA officials said.
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