[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 89 (Thursday, May 25, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H2613-H2614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1130
                          DEBT CEILING CRISIS

  (Ms. BALINT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. BALINT. Mr. Speaker, I always say that Vermont is held together 
with duct tape, twine, and hundreds of hours of volunteer service.
  The other thing that we know about Vermonters: They pay their bills. 
They also stay when you are in the midst of an emergency, which is 
where we are right now.
  Mr. Speaker, I led my senate chamber. When you are facing a budgetary 
crisis, you don't leave. You stay. You engage. It doesn't matter if it 
is 1 o'clock in the morning, 2 o'clock in the morning, or overnight, 
you stay.
  We are public servants.
  I can't believe that not five so-called moderate Republicans--because 
we hear about them all the time, that there is a group of reasonable 
Republicans. Where are they? We need just

[[Page H2614]]

five to sign the discharge petition and be done with this.
  Pay our bills, that is what we are talking about--pay our bills and 
not be held hostage and make dramatic cuts that are going to affect 
veterans, going to affect students, going to affect working families. 
That is what we are talking about.
  Where are they? Where are the five moderate Republicans that we 
always hear about?
  They are not here. They left.

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