[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11681]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                THE AMERICAN PEOPLE DON'T WANT IDEOLOGY

  (Mr. YARMUTH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Speaker, nearly every economist in our country and 
leaders from both sides of the aisle agree: Defaulting on our debt 
would be disastrous to our economy, to middle class families, and to 
our most vulnerable citizens. Yet more than 60 of my Republicans 
colleagues have said they will not, under any circumstances, support a 
plan to raise the debt ceiling and prevent another economic crisis.
  Since day one of this Congress, the Republican agenda has been driven 
by a reckless Tea Party ideology that ignores reality. Now, with the 
security of our economy and every American family on the line, they 
again choose ideology over reality.
  But ideology doesn't pay the bills. Middle class families can't buy 
groceries with ideology. You can't pay for prescription drugs with it. 
Mortgage bankers don't accept ideology as payment, and neither do 
credit card companies. Ideology doesn't provide a safety net for our 
seniors who rely on Social Security and Medicare. And ideology won't 
pay our troops serving on the front lines.
  No matter how many times they deny the consequences of default, the 
reality is not going to change. This blind adherence to an ideology is 
not leadership, and it's not what the American people want or desire.

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