{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-joins-budget-committee-republicans-in-urging-chairman-to-prioritize-fiscal-climate", "Crapo Joins Budget Committee Republicans in Urging Chairman to Prioritize Fiscal Climate", "2023-12-06", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Senate Budget Committee Republicans are urging Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) to convene a series of hearings examining policies to address the nation\u2019s looming economic challenges. In a letter signed by all committee Republicans, the Senators cite credit downgrades and independent analyses warning of the challenges presented by growing debt, deficit and interest obligations. The letter comes amid a barrage of warnings about the country\u2019s deteriorating fiscal health.\n\n\u201cUnder your chairmanship, the Senate Committee on the Budget has dedicated significant time and attention to climate issues, holding 12 separate hearings on climate change this year alone,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cWe implore you to direct the Committee\u2019s agenda to the impending budgetary and fiscal crisis facing our nation \u2013 issues at the heart of this committee\u2019s jurisdiction. There\u2019s no time to spare,\u201d\n\nThe letter comes after credit agencies Moody\u2019s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings downgraded outlooks on the United States\u2019 creditworthiness. A Penn Wharton Budget Model study also warned the window to take corrective fiscal action is closing rapidly, and once it closes, no amount of tax increases or spending cuts could avoid a government default.\n\nThe Senators propose initiating hearings with testimony from the U.S. Department of the Treasury Secretary, Congressional Budget Office Director and representatives from Fitch, Moody\u2019s and S&P Global Ratings.\n\n\u201cTough conversations on our nation\u2019s fiscal health need to be had to preserve our nation\u2019s economic strength. If we want to be the global leader in the economic marketplace, then we need to lead from the front with strong fiscal responsibility,\u201d the Senators continued.\n\nThe letter was also signed by Budget Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Senators Rick Scott (R-Florida), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), Mike Braun (R-Indiana) and Mike Lee (R-Utah).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"]], "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://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-joins-budget-committee-republicans-in-urging-chairman-to-prioritize-fiscal-climate"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9974283166229725, "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"}