If there is one thing that we've learned in these past weeks, it's
that the Tea Party will go to great lengths -- including putting the American economy in danger and
holding our government hostage -- to destroy Obamacare. To them
it doesn't matter that the American public overwhelmingly endorsed these
important health care reforms when we re-elected President Obama in 2012; they
just want to continue to obstruct the progress that has been made.
Let me make something clear: This cannot happen again. As I have in the past, I
will continue to stand strong in the face of anyone who believes that the best
way to pass legislation is by driving our country to the economic brink -- to
govern by directly threatening the livelihoods and well-being of countless
Americans.
Though a full-blown crisis was narrowly averted, we've still got a
lot of work to do.
We may have avoided breaching the debt ceiling, but the Tea Party
gamble cost us 24 billion dollars in lost American economic activity. They hurt
hundreds of thousands of Americans -- including thousands of federal employees
and veterans in Rhode Island. Now we need to fix the damage and work towards
creating jobs and improving the economy.
This has been an especially trying time for all of us, but I want
you to know that I will always work to protect Rhode Island families, and I
will continue to stand up to the most extreme factions in Congress who are
trying to derail our country.
Thank you for joining with me in this fight, and for your
continued support.
Sheldon Whitehouse
U. S. Senator
