During the government shutdown, I emailed Senator Chuck Grassley, telling him in no uncertain terms that I wanted an end to the government shutdown, increase in the debt ceiling, and an end to all the ACA related nonsense the Republicans have been up to. Today, I got his response. See it below the fold, and feel free to share your thoughts in the comments --
(I should add that this is, of course, his canned response)
Thank you for taking the time to contact me. As your Senator, it is important for me to hear from you. I apologize for the delay in my response.
I appreciate hearing your thoughts regarding the recent debate on the Continuing Appropriations Act. I’ve heard from thousands of Iowans regarding the government shutdown, the debt ceiling, and the new health care law.
On September 27, the Senate passed by a vote of 54 to 44, a spending bill (known as the Continuing Appropriations Act) that would have funded the government for fiscal year 2014, but at levels higher than allowed for under the Budget Control Act passed in August 2011. In addition, the bill did nothing to prevent or delay the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I have been committed to using every tool to stop it because of what’s at stake for America’s economy, jobs, and health care needs. Already, the law has had a negative impact on hiring, with more than 70 percent of people hired during the last year getting only part-time jobs because of the ACA.
Employers are dropping work hours and not hiring because of the costs put on them by this law. Workers are being forced into the exchanges. This is the opposite of what the President promised -- that if you like the health care coverage you have, you can keep it. Even supporters of the ACA are now skeptical as reality sets in. It’s reasonable to conclude that we should stop moving forward on the ACA, or at least delay it. Because of this opposition, and because the Senate Majority Leader did not allow any minority party amendments, I voted against the spending bill.
Prior to the government shutdown, I voted in favor of three different bills to avoid a government shutdown while addressing concerns with the ACA. These bills would have funded the government and provided relief from the individual mandate, repealed the medical device tax, ensured fairness by applying the law to the President and his political appointees, and applied the law to Congress. All of them were defeated on a party-line vote, resulting in a government shutdown.
During the shutdown, it seemed as if the Administration was doing all it could to make the shutdown as painful as possible. For example, they went to great lengths to try to keep World War II veterans from viewing the memorial dedicated to their service. It’s an open-air memorial. It likely took more effort and personnel to close and barricade the memorial than it did to keep it open.
The House of Representatives passed a number of bills in response to the Administration’s actions. These bills would have fully funded the National Park Service, veterans’ benefits, research at the National Institutes of Health, Head Start, SNAP and WIC benefits, and the Food and Drug Administration, among others. The Senate leadership refused to even consider these bills.
Ultimately, the government shutdown coincided with the deadline to extend the nation’s debt limit. On October 16, the Senate debated legislation to extend the debt limit until February 7, 2014, and provide continuing appropriations for the federal government through January 15, 2014. While the bill passed the Senate and was ultimately signed into law, it failed to include any meaningful measures to address our out-of-control spending. There's been a lot of talk about the negative impact of not raising the debt limit, but there’s too little focus on the negative consequences of ignoring the $17 trillion debt. Government spending has exploded since 2008, increasing the national debt by $6 trillion.
Yet, the debt limit was increased without making any spending cuts or measures to reform mandatory programs. It’s a missed opportunity for forcing action to limit government and increase economic opportunities. Meanwhile, the President refuses to lead for fiscal responsibility, both short and long term, even with a government shutdown. It’s time Congress and the President roll up our sleeves and address the long-term fiscal problems of our country.
Again, thank you for writing to me. I hope you will continue to keep in touch.
Sincerely,
Chuck