Post by bot on May 9, 2014 20:55:54 GMT -5
House Republicans Once Again Waste Time on Partisan Legislation, Ignore Critical Priorities
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
This week, I was deeply disappointed House Republicans wasted time focusing on partisan conspiracy theories about the Obama Administration that have already been thoroughly investigated instead of focusing on priorities that Americans care most about – restoring emergency unemployment insurance, raising the minimum wage, creating jobs, and reforming our broken immigration system.
Rather than taking up these critical issues, House Republicans passed a partisan resolution to hold former IRS official Lois Lerner in contempt of Congress, even though legal experts have concluded that the Republican effort to hold Ms. Lerner in contempt of Congress is constitutionally deficient. Additionally, I was disappointed that House Republicans continue to politicize the Benghazi tragedy by voting to establish a Select Committee. It was appropriate to investigate what happened when four Americans, including Ambassador, Chris Stevens, lost their lives, but seven official reviews, including one by a State Department accountability board, two bipartisan Senate reports, and four partisan ones conducted by the Republican-controlled House, have found no evidence of a conspiracy or of any wrongdoing on the part of the White House. It is now time to work together to ensure it never happens again, but unfortunately, House Republicans have decided to continue to pursue partisanship through this Select Committee.
House Republicans also voted to add $155 billion to the deficit by passing a permanent extension of the research and development tax cut without paying for it. Republicans claim they want to reduce the deficit, but the legislation they passed today was fiscally irresponsible. Democrats strongly support permanently extending the research and development tax cut so that businesses can invest in innovation, and it is part of our Make It In America jobs plan. However, Republicans should have worked with Democrats to find a bipartisan way to pay for it.
I continue to urge House Republicans to address the issues the majority of Americans support, including restoring emergency unemployment insurance, raising the minimum wage, and passing comprehensive immigration reform.
Sincerely yours,
STENY H. HOYER