{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://sewell.house.gov/2023/5/rep-sewell-speaks-on-the-house-floor-to-demand-that-republicans-return-and-prevent-devastating-default", "Rep. Sewell Speaks on the House Floor to Demand that Republicans Return and Prevent Devastating Default", "2023-05-25", "2023", "2023-05", "Democrat", "House", "AL", "Terri A. Sewell", "S001185", "sewell.house.gov", "sewell", "https://sewell.house.gov/press-releases", "scraper", "As Republicans leave town with our economy on the brink, Rep. Sewell demands that we pay America\u2019s bills\n\nWashington D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) joined her Democratic colleagues on the House Floor to demand that the Republican majority do their jobs and pay America\u2019s bills to avoid a devastating debt default.\n\n\u201cLet me be very clear. We as Members of Congress have a solemn obligation to pay our nation\u2019s bills and to protect the full faith and credit of the United States,\u201d said Rep. Sewell. \u201cWe have never defaulted on our debt. But this time, House Republicans are refusing to address the debt limit unless we make serious cuts to programs that Alabama families that I represent need most, like veterans benefits and food assistance for our seniors and children.\u201d\n\n\u201cMadam Speaker, this is a manufactured crisis,\u201d continued Sewell. \u201cRepublicans could pass a clean debt ceiling bill but chose not to\u2026 But today, Republicans have chosen to send us home instead of doing our job. Our job is to protect the American people and to make sure that the full faith and credit of the American government stands.\u201d\n\nView her remarks here.\n\nHouse Republicans created this crisis and then rushed out of town for the long weekend, days away from a catastrophic default on our debt that will cost families dearly. According to estimates from the House Budget Committee Minority, a Republican default would:\n\nKill about 6,000 jobs in Alabama\u2019s 7th District alone. Nationwide, a default could kill more than 7 million jobs.\n\nJeopardize Social Security payments for 101,000 families in Alabama\u2019s 7th District.\n\nPut health benefits at risk for 306,000 people in Alabama\u2019s 7th District who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, or Veterans Affairs health coverage.\n\nIncrease lifetime mortgage costs by $43,000 for the typical homeowner in Alabama.\n\nRaise the costs of a new car loan by $800 for the typical American\n\nThreaten the retirement savings of 91,400 people near retirement in Alabama\u2019s 7th District, eliminating $20,000 from the typical retirement portfolio.\n\nDemocrats are united to pay America\u2019s bills without political stunts. Rep. Sewell has signed on to legislation that allows a bipartisan solution that prevents default and saves our economy. If five House Republicans sign the same legislation, the crisis can be ended immediately.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T23:55:44Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://sewell.house.gov/2023/5/rep-sewell-speaks-on-the-house-floor-to-demand-that-republicans-return-and-prevent-devastating-default"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 11.697487905621529, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}