Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), ranking member of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, tonight voted against House Republicans’ Default on America Act looming, and released the following statement:

“Speaker McCarthy is holding our economy hostage just to appease extremists in his caucus. His Default on America Act would lead to 780,000 job losses and push us into a recession. It would also force communities to lay off thousands of first responders, push 600,000 Medicaid beneficiaries off their health insurance, and cause food insecurity to spike even higher. The Speaker needs to be fiscally responsible and put a clean bill on the floor so we can pay America's tab. If extreme MAGA Republicans decide to default on America, seniors on Social Security won’t get their checks; car payments, student loans, credit card bills, and mortgages will all skyrocket; and hard-earned retirement savings will be lost.” 

By refusing to act now to prevent a default, House Republicans are threatening an economic disaster that will devastate everyday Americans. In Maine’s First District, an extreme MAGA Republican default on our debt would:

• Kill 7,000 jobs as unemployment doubles;
• Threaten the retirement savings of 104,800 people near retirement;
• Put Medicare, Medicaid, and Veterans Affairs health benefits at risk for 238,000 people; and
• Jeopardize Social Security payments for 104,000 seniors.

But the Default On America Act is no alternative. In Maine, the extreme House Republican scheme would:             

• Threaten access to food assistance for 3,000 people aged 50-55;
• Eliminate preschool and child care for at least 1,100 children;
• Increase housing costs for at least 3,200 people; and
• Make college more expensive for at least 22,000 students.

House Democrats have already cut the deficit by historic levels and President Biden’s budget reduces deficits by $3 trillion more over the next 10 years while investing in America – lowering costs by making child care, health care, and housing more affordable, supporting better schools, and strengthening our infrastructure.

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