Huffman: Don't Hold Hostage the Full Faith and Credit of the United States

January 23, 2013

WASHINGTON – Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), a member of the House Budget Committee, issued the following statement today after voting against legislation to temporarily and conditionally suspend the debt limit through May 18, 2013:

“This is the first significant vote of the 113th Congress to address our nation’s fiscal challenges, and I’m disappointed that instead of solving the problem, we see another gimmick that kicks the can another three months down the road. To vote yes on this bill would dignify the notion that the full faith and credit of the United States is a bargaining chip – a hostage to be ransomed 90 days from now to advance a partisan agenda. Leading economists on both sides of the aisle agree that Congress cannot use our nation’s debt ceiling as a hostage without risking serious economic harm, possibly triggering a global economic crisis. I look forward to working with colleagues from both sides of the aisle to tackle these issues in a serious, comprehensive, and long-term manner. We cannot uphold the full faith and credit of the United States, or provide the certainty needed for economic recovery, when we take crisis-driven budget votes every three months.”