Debt Ceiling Crisis

Floor Speech

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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 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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