Cincinnati, OH – Today, Congressman Greg Landsman (OH-01) released the following statement on the negotiated deal to avoid default.

“Defaulting on America is not an option.

“Default would be catastrophic: costing millions of Americans their jobs, driving up costs on all Americans, and undermining our national security.

“Now that a deal has been negotiated, bipartisan and pragmatic leaders in Congress must step up and ensure we avoid default and support a budget that protects Social Security, healthcare for tens of millions of Americans, and benefits for veterans. This budget framework must also protect core investments in protecting the most vulnerable Americans from the awfulness of poverty.

“While we review the details of the negotiated deal, it’s important to note that this process is terrible. Folks are calling us panicked about their Social Security checks, whether or not they might lose their healthcare, and whether or not the economy would crash. People in Washington cannot continue to normalize this. It’s a terrible and reckless process.

“As for the negotiated bill, again, the details matter. On the surface, it reflects the fact that Republicans won the House and Democrats the Senate and White House. The vast majority of Americans want a balanced budget by having the super wealthy pay all of their taxes, not by making life harder for Americans already struggling. That said, the Majority in the House will not support fixing our tax system. Considering this, spending caps that do not hurt Americans will likely be the best option for this divided Congress.

“For those Democrats that do support this, it will be because they understand the reality that President Biden had to negotiate on the budget and that this will avoid default and economic calamity.

“As I prepare to vote, my commitment has and will continue to be a reliable, bipartisan, pragmatic leader who steps up in times like these.

“We cannot default.”

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