For the last several months, our city has faced tragedy as far too many young people have lost their lives from rampant street violence. As families cope with their grief, I am urging local officials and community leaders to come together to address this crisis. Unfortunately, leaders in Congress have shown an unwillingness to do their part and address one of the top causes of these tragedies—illegal guns on our streets.
This is not the only issue Congress has failed to address and, not surprisingly, their approval ratings have dropped considerably over the last few years. Americans have grown tired of partisan bickering and a lack of progress on issues like gun violence that continue to plague our communities. I stand with them in their disappointment and their belief that our country deserves better.
While news stories have been full of references to the “least productive Congress ever,” it can be unclear what the backlog in Washington really means for Hoosiers. As I push for meaningful action in Congress this upcoming year, on violence in our community and other issues, I believe you deserve to know how a continuing stalemate impacts you, your family, and your community.
Last year, our city weathered the impacts of an entirely avoidable and destructive government shutdown. But in the midst of this shutdown, we faced an even more pressing crisis—the possibility of defaulting on our debt. In February, we face this crisis again as Congress debates raising the debt limit. While this is often presented as a shortcut to more spending, it really just ensures paying the bills we have already accrued. Failing to raise our debt limit means Americans will pay more for practically everything. Employers will lay off workers because they can no longer get affordable loans for payroll. Access to critical government benefits like Social Security could grind to a halt. And perhaps most tragically, federal support for law enforcement will be cut off. Raising the debt limit is vital to our city.
Just as important is Congress’ consideration of a compromise agreement on the Farm Bill, which provides critical support for our farmers and keeps healthy food affordable. This includes funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or food stamps, which millions of Americans rely on. Some of my Republican colleagues want to cut almost $40 billion from SNAP. When the average benefit equates to only $1.50 per person, per meal, this is an unconscionable reduction that would leave many families hungry. As this debate progresses, I am working hard to ensure that our struggling friends and neighbors can continue to put food on the table.
Later this year, I will also be closely involved in authoring major bills on defense and highway policy. These discussions provide an opportunity to bring your tax dollars back to the 7th Congressional District, expand our local infrastructure and create well-paying jobs in Indianapolis. Additionally they give an opportunity to advocate for Hoosier priorities like building up deteriorating roads and bridges and responsibly winding down the war in Afghanistan.
Unfortunately, progress remains uncertain on many other priorities. As millions of Americans continue to struggle with unemployment and low pay, I believe it is critical we extend unemployment insurance benefits and raise the minimum wage. Congress has not reached an agreement on how to reform our immigration, tax, and education systems. Instead of addressing these critical priorities, the Republican House leadership continues to block them from a vote.
Regardless of which side of the aisle you fall on, I know it can be hard to see common sense initiatives stalled by partisanship and ideology.
As we start another year, I return to Washington disappointed about past partisanship but hopeful that we can achieve a more tolerant and functional government for the American people.
