Hoyer, Pelosi Dear Colleague to House Democratic Caucus: Hou

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Hoyer, Pelosi Dear Colleague to House Democratic Caucus: House GOP Adjourns, Fails to Address Central Challenges of Nation

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer and Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today sent a letter to the House Democratic Caucus urging Democratic Members to highlight the past 20 months of the Republican Majority’s record of missed opportunities and obstruction in addressing the nation’s central challenges.
As Leader Pelosi and Whip Hoyer said in their letter, “…House Republicans left town for 7 weeks of recess and left important work unfinished. Throughout this Congress, House Republicans have chosen to pursue their ideological agenda, instead of working with Democrats to address pressing issues of concern to middle-class families.”
The leaders went on to state that: “As we meet with constituents this Fall, this is the message we will be carrying from Washington – that the Republican record of inaction for the middle class is the wrong direction for America and that Democrats are ready to lead with real solutions. And that Republicans have refused to take up the issues confronting America’s middle class and seniors, but have made plenty of time over the past two years to pick millionaires over Medicare and the middle class.”
House Republicans recessed for seven weeks after only scheduling eight days of votes between August 3rd and November 13th. This is the earliest Congress has recessed for an election in over 50 years.
Below is the full text of the letter:
September 24, 2012
Dear Democratic Colleagues:
On September 21st, the House concluded the last day of the legislative session until November – marking the earliest recess of Congress since 1960 – over the objections of our Caucus. After being in session for just eight days, House Republicans left town for 7 weeks of recess and left important work unfinished. Throughout this Congress, House Republicans have chosen to pursue their ideological agenda, instead of working with Democrats to address pressing issues of concern to middle-class families.
After twenty months in the Majority, House Republicans have not brought a comprehensive jobs bill to the Floor. They again left town without preventing taxes from going up on millions of middle-class families and small businesses next year. Bills that have passed the Senate with bipartisan support, but have been met with inaction on this side of the Capitol, include the farm bill, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, and postal reform.
House Republicans have also failed to take serious action to prevent our nation from going over the fiscal cliff in January, when taxes are set to go up, unemployment insurance and the Medicare physician payment rate are set to expire, and the arbitrary, dangerous cuts of sequestration are scheduled to go into effect.
Even as Republicans have failed to act on these critical issues, they have wasted time on political messaging bills, voting six times for a budget that would end the Medicare guarantee, and voting 33 times to repeal health care reform and the consumer protections and benefits it brings.
Meanwhile, Democrats have continued to push for sensible solutions that will create jobs, reduce deficits, and create opportunities for more of our people to “Make It In America.” Democrats are committed to reigniting the American dream, building ladders of opportunity for anyone willing to work hard, take responsibility, and play by the rules. We must strengthen the pillars that have always made our economy succeed: small businesses, entrepreneurs, and a thriving middle class. And we have work to do.
When Democrats controlled Congress and President Bush served in the White House, we worked on a bipartisan basis to prevent our nation from plunging into a Great Depression. When we were in the majority during President Obama’s first two terms, we produced what one nonpartisan observer has called “one of the most productive Congresses” since the New Deal. But under Republican control, this Congress has obstructed progress, has fallen to historic lows in public approval, and has earned the title of being the least productive in modern history.
This is the choice we must now present to the American people.
As we meet with constituents this Fall, this is the message we will be carrying from Washington – that the Republican record of inaction for the middle class is the wrong direction for America and that Democrats are ready to lead with real solutions. And that Republicans have refused to take up the issues confronting America’s middle class and seniors, but have made plenty of time over the past two years to pick millionaires over Medicare and the middle class. We hope you will join us in making this case in each of your districts. To help you, we have provided your offices with materials about the record of the Do Nothing Republicans, as well as information on Democrats’ Make It In America plan for middle-class jobs.
If we can get this message out to our constituents, we can begin to put Congress back on the right track to achieve the solutions the American people expect and deserve.
Thank you for your leadership.
Sincerely,

NANCY PELOSI
Democratic Leader

STENY HOYER
Democratic Whip



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