Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin Slams House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy Over Debt Default Threat

U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) is warning that the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, is threatening the economy with the first-ever federal debt default. Durbin, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that the House Republicans' refusal to pay the country's bills is causing uncertainty throughout the global economy. Durbin also highlighted how Speaker McCarthy's proposal would decimate funding for America's veterans, gut funding for police officers and first-responders, jeopardize healthcare coverage for millions of Americans, and eliminate food assistance for more than one million people.

Key Takeaways:

• The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, is threatening the economy with the first-ever federal debt default, according to Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin.
• The debt ceiling proposal passed by House Republicans last week is not a budget, but a "MAGA manifesto" that would cause devastating cuts in services and programs that millions of Americans rely on.
• Speaker McCarthy's proposal would decimate funding for America's veterans, eliminating 80,000 jobs in the veterans' health administration, and threaten housing and food security for them.
• The proposal would also wipe out 30,000 law enforcement and border patrol jobs, and cut one million senior citizens' meals on wheels.
• In Illinois, the cuts would force 13,000 children to lose child care and preschool, strip food assistance from 55,000 women, infants, and children, and threaten medical care for more than 186,000 veterans.
• Durbin called for a clean bill for the debt ceiling, saying that the path forward is clear, and that the Senate has one responsibility: to maintain the reputation of the United States of America for having full faith and credit.

Statistics:

• 80,000 jobs could be eliminated in the veterans' health administration if the proposal becomes law. (Source: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin)
• 30,000 law enforcement and border patrol jobs could be wiped out if the proposal becomes law. (Source: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin)
• One million senior citizens could lose their meals on wheels if the proposal becomes law. (Source: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin)
• 13,000 children in Illinois could lose child care and preschool if the proposal becomes law. (Source: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin)
• 55,000 women, infants, and children in Illinois could lose food assistance if the proposal becomes law. (Source: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin)
• More than 186,000 veterans in Illinois could lose medical care if the proposal becomes law. (Source: Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin)

Sources:

• United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
• Video of Durbin's floor speech (available here)
• Audio of Durbin's floor speech (available here)
• Footage of Durbin's floor speech (available here for TV Stations)