Boyle Floor Remarks on House Republicans’ Default On America Act

WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Pennsylvania Congressman Brendan F. Boyle, Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee, delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in opposition of the Default on America Act, House Republicans' harmful spending cuts and default bill:

 

 

 

Mr. Speaker, my friends on the other side of the aisle will claim they are being “fiscally responsible.” Let's be clear, there never has been and never will be anything fiscally responsible about refusing to pay America's bills. Killing millions of jobs is also not fiscally responsible. Neither is knowingly unleashing a recession.

 

That is why even former President Trump said, “I can't imagine anybody ever even thinking of using the debt ceiling as a negotiating [tool].”

 

Now, I had hoped that when the Speaker referred to the budget process and debt ceiling as “apples and oranges,” it meant my friends on the other side finally understood the real world ramifications of their reckless brinkmanship. And yet here we are.

 

Republicans DOA Act — the Default on America Act — will cut investments, crush job creation, and crash the economy. Their Default on America Act must be D.O.A. There is no way Congress will agree to 10 years of destructive caps and the biggest single cut to nondefense programs in American history.

 

And for what? In exchange for a few months of respite before we would have to go through this debt ceiling rollercoaster all over again.

 

Now the American people may be wondering, when they hear what I just said — the biggest single cut to nondefense programs in the history of the American government — they might be wondering what exactly that means. Well, here are some specifics:

 

First, in total, we are talking about an immediate cut of at least $142 billion. That would mean, for example, on public safety: After recent near misses, under this bill, 125 air traffic control towers will be shut down, impacting one third of all airports. Following the disastrous derailments in eastern Ohio and West Virginia, rail safety jobs will be dramatically reduced with 11,000 fewer safety inspection days and 30,000 fewer miles of track inspected annually. Our communities will be less safe with the cut of federal support to 60 local law enforcement agencies, 300 to 400 fewer local law enforcement positions, as well as approximately 11,000 fewer FBI personnel.

 

On health: Amid a mental health and overdose crisis, nearly 1 million people facing a suicidal or mental health crisis would be unable to access support services through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. And tens of thousands of individuals could be denied admission to opioid use disorder treatment.

 

In terms of families and on nutrition: With the looming rise of food insecurity, nutrition services, such as Meals on Wheels, would be cut for more than 1 million seniors. How can we allow this to happen? We simply cannot and must not.

 

Now, many of us on this side of the aisle who will be speaking will detail even more of the cuts that are included in this D.O.A. Default on America Act. But for now, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

 

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