Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson delivered the following remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives urging House GOP Leadership to address the looming fiscal issues.
"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to implore House GOP Leadership to address the looming fiscal cliff. We have only a few hours left, and we owe it to the American people to find a solution, pass legislation, and send it to the President for signature tonight."
"There is too much at stake to let this critical situation devolve into to the same politics as usual that we have seen throughout this Congress.
The consequences of failure or inaction are dire. According to the Congressional Budget Office, going over the cliff would raise the unemployment rate from 7.9% to 9.1% in 2013. We would also see devastating cuts to programs that pay for education, food inspection and air travel safety nearing $55 billion. Mr. Speaker, there is no more time and the American people are depending on us for a solution to avoid the fiscal cliff."
