[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 191 (Thursday, December 8, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H8827]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0915
                 CONGRESS MUST ADDRESS THE DEBT CEILING

  (Mr. LEVIN of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LEVIN of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address a 
looming crisis facing our country. This one is a man-made crisis, one 
born out of cruel political calculations.
  Mr. Speaker, I am referring to the threat of some of our Republican 
colleagues to refuse to raise the debt ceiling next year, unless their 
most extreme demands are met, and they have made clear what those 
demands are.
  They believe this threat is how they can finally force cuts to the 
Social Security benefits that millions of Americans have earned. This 
threat is how they are going try to raise the retirement age. This is 
how they want to force cuts to Medicare.
  They are prepared to force a default and create catastrophic 
consequences for our economy and America's standing in the world, so 
they can slash Social Security and Medicare.
  We can't let that happen. We must address the debt ceiling. The 
consequences if we don't act are too grave.
  To all of my colleagues, we must not hold Social Security and 
Medicare hostage. We must address the debt ceiling as soon as possible.

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