House Democrats Cry Foul On Republican Leadership

By Vanessa Remmers

As debt negotiations continue to trudge along, House Democrats voiced growing frustration with the House Republican leadership Monday.

“In 200 days they’ve in fact tried to put 2 million Americans out of work, and now with the default negotiations they are holding the American people hostage …to their agenda of tax cuts to the rich, ” Rep. Judy Chu (D-Ca) said during a press conference with a collection of fellow Democratic lawmakers.

Democratic leadership pointed to the lack of job creation bills and Republicans walking out of debt negotiations as evidence of Republicans’ inability to lead effectively.

“What we have seen is fiscal irresponsibility and ignoring of a jobs agenda,” Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said. What they have done is undermine the very thing they talked about as we see a nation roiled by concern that the Congress of the United States under Republican leadership … refusing to come together and make a compromise and get our finances in order.” 

Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) charged Republicans with creating short-term solutions for the debt ceiling increase which, according to Van Hollen, requires a long-term solution.

“The American people deserve better than what they are seeing … to govern is to choose, and they continue to choose to try to deal with the deficit only by cutting deeply into things like education, Medicare, Medicaid and at the same time protecting tax cuts for the folks at the very top,” Van Hollen said.