To return or not to return, that is the question for Congress
Washington (CNN) - Four conservative Democratic members of the House called on Congress Wednesday to address the country's fiscal challenges by returning to Washington, despite House Speaker John Boehner opposing the idea on a conference call with GOP members.
Representatives Jim Cooper of Tennessee, Mike McIntyre of North Carolina, Michael Michaud of Maine and Henry Cuellar of Texas sent a letter to Boehner and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi urging them to end the August recess.
The four Democrats said the downgrade issued by Standard and Poor's is a sign the compromise reached by Congress and the White House, "did not do nearly enough."
"Our fiscal and jobs situation is dire and both deserve the full and immediate attention of Congress," the members wrote. "We ask you to reconvene the House immediately, and show the American people and the financial markets that Congress can solve these big problems in a bipartisan fashion."
Congress adjourned last week after reaching a deal to raise the debt ceiling, before S&P issued their ruling. The House and Senate are in "pro forma" session for only a few days during the month of August and both are not scheduled to return until after Labor Day.
Reps. Jack Kingston of Georgia and Charlie Rangel of New York made similar suggestions in recent days.
But Boehner, on a conference call Tuesday afternoon said the House passed its budget plans, and it is now up to the Senate to take action.
"I know some of you think we should be back here cutting more spending. But the truth is that the House has acted," Boehner said on the call according to a Republican participant. "We passed 'cut, cap, and balance.' We passed a budget. The house is not the obstacle here – the Senate is."
Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and House Whip Kevin McCarthy said the representatives should spend the August recess talking to their constituents and emphasizing what they see are the solutions passed by the GOP majority in the House, the participant said.
"We need to try to listen and address their concerns and show that we have acted and have a handle on the situation," Cantor said on the call. "We have offered real solutions. Real solutions. People are worried about 401ks and their savings for the future, and we have to show some confidence that we will get things done."
From CNN Politics
- Fact check: Trump repeats false claims during rally in Waco, Texas
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- Biden's student loan forgiveness program faces a new threat from Senate Republicans
- Republican lawmaker calls TikTok 'an immediate threat' and calls for app to be banned
- Trump leans into extremism at first 2024 rally as legal woes mount
- Supreme Court declines to hear Kansas racial gerrymandering case
American will never be destoryed
from the outside
if we falter and lose our freedom
it will be because we destoryed our
self.
""We need to try to listen and address their concerns and show that we have acted and have a handle on the situation,""
Why? You haven't listened to the public yet, why would you start now??
Representatives Jim Cooper must lead the congress I respect him he proposed lot of good stuff but he is not attracted to media that is big problem
Congress is really full of themselves.
enlighten the people generally
and tyranny opperssion of body
and mine will vanish like
evil spirits at the dawn of day.
every generatin needs a new
political voice
for here we are not afraid to follow truth
where ever it may lead.
.
My (Republican) congressman had a town hall meeting yesterday and nearly got run out of town by both sides of the voter aisle.
now is the time for the voice of Jesus
if thou knew the gift of G-D and who
it is that saith to thee
give me a drink
thou would have asked of him
and he would have given
thee living water.
Congress has sunk the economy and now take a vacation... They have America looking bad to the entire world... With the markets sinking why would they not get back to work.. shameful....no matter, they would not pass anything together anyway...America we are on our own....
I kind of like them home where the voters can confront the GOBPbaggers about their total refusal to raise taxes. I'd also like to see people at every meet up ask their rep what sacrifices they are calling on corporations and the ultrarich to make along with the rest of us.
WHERE IS CONGRESS WHEN THERE IS A CRISIS???? On vacation! And the Teapublicans (aka GOP) complain about everything President Obama does! IF the Congressional majority were Democrats, the Teapublicans would be screaming "GET BACK TO WORK!" But....... no....... the majority is Teapublican and they are taking their vacation!
Republicans are the laziest corporate welfare slackers in the world. Why would Boehner (finally) want to work? After all, he stated he got 98% of what he wanted. Lazy, corrupt and dangerous = republicans.
Since Republicans took over the House, we have a near government shutdown and a near government default. We have lost our AAA credit rating. Dow has lost almost 9% of its value (It was 11,723 on January 5, 2011, and 10,720 on August 10, for a loss of 8.6%). Please, Republicans, stay away. You are spooking the markets.
You mean the cap, cut, and balance plan that would require an immediate cut of 29% to every Federal spending area just to reach an immediate balanced budget?
That's a 29% cut to 55 million receiving Social Security in 2011.
29% cut to 43 million receiving Medicare.
29% cut to the military.
29% cut to those protecting our borders, airports, sea ports, etc.
29% cut to Federal money for schools.
Or is Speaker Boehner referirng to the Ryan budget that passed the House and 40 GOP Senators voted for? You know, the one that increased the rate of the deficit during the first 10 years and didn't produce a balanced budget until 2040 (4 years after the President's debt committee's balanced budget in 2036).
"Congress is really full of themselves."
If by themselves you mean feces, then yes, Congress is overflowing with themselves.
"We have offered real solutions. Real solutions. "
Yes, more tax cuts and the evisceration of Medicare/caid and SS. I think what Cantor meant was "final solution."
Yes, you can forward my Godwin Award to my P.O. Box.
Poll after poll after poll shows 2/3 of the American public want both reasonable–not extreme–spending cuts AND increased (tax) revenues on the wealthy as a solution to our fiscal problems. Why don't the Teapublicans listen to Ameria??? They are too much like their Bible-thumping members, too myopic and arrogantly ignorant. Open yer dang ears and listen to America not to your own shrill voices.
"... despite House Speaker John Boehner opposing the idea on a conference call with GOP members."
God forbid we should interrupt Boehner's golf game!
Please stay home! you haven't done anything anyway except make a bad situation worse. Give the world a break from your stupidity.
In hard times the US Military is called defend our country so that our US nation can live the allow American Dream. We the American people are calling our Politcal Leaders to come to a Compromise so that we all can live that American way of Life. Please Act Now!
We need an admendment to the Constitution which stops their pay on October 1 if they don't have an approved budget. On January 1 if we don't have an approved budget we need a referendum vote on flushing all of them down the toilet and bringing in a new bunch ot theives.
We need a second admendment to outlaw a single penny of lobby money to go to any politician's election. As a federal employee I'd go to jail if I took money from contractors. How is this different? To hell with the Supreme Court's decision to allow unlimited flow of money to buy our politician's love. This is just another example of how corrupt our government has become with PAC money.