Mid Valley Reporter

On April 26, 2023, Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (D-Tigard) issued the following statement after voting against House Republicans’ Default on America Act:

“From the moment I arrived in Washington DC, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the bipartisan spirit in Congress. Time and again, Democrats have shown that we’re willing to be team players in service of what’s best for the American people – which is why I’m so disappointed by the bad-faith debt ceiling package House Republicans forced through today.

“Their bill is a disaster for our economy, for our planet, and for working Oregonians. It could bring about devastating cuts to education and childcare programs, robbing our children of opportunities to learn and grow, while forcing parents to choose between watching their child or earning a paycheck. This bill could also jeopardize Oregonians’ access to health care and food assistance, specifically targeting adults over 50 for cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits – which could translate to 21,000 Oregonians losing their ability to put food on the table. And, even worse, it could ultimately cause unemployment to tick up nationwide, resulting in 780,000 fewer jobs by the end of 2024.

“But beyond just its devastating economic impacts, this bill is poisonous for our environment. It tilts the scale toward Big Oil, deepening our dependence on fossil fuels and locking in dangerous levels of greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come. Furthermore, it will severely restrict Oregonians’ access to clean air and water. And, by undoing virtually all the key climate provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, this bill hamstrings our efforts to transition to clean energy – not to mention the fact that it would stifle economic development in the clean energy and manufacturing sectors, robbing Oregonians of thousands of potential job opportunities.

“They say a budget is a reflection of your values. If that’s the case, this bill should raise serious concerns for all Americans who value seniors, children, parents, veterans, teachers, workers, and our environment. For all these reasons and more, I voted ‘no.’”

House Republicans continue to threaten a default if the demands put forward in this bill aren’t met. In Oregon’s sixth district, a default could:

• Jeopardize Social Security payments for 84,000 families, disrupting $152,000,000 a month in total Social Security income;
• Threaten health care for 278,000 Oregonians who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, or Veterans Affairs for their coverage;
• Increase a new Oregon homeowner’s mortgage by approximately $200 a month;
• Cost local small businesses $2,500 more in loan payments;
• And kill approximately 6,800 jobs in the OR-06 community.

To learn more about how this bill and the threat of default could impact the community, click here.

Original source can be found here.