Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI):
First of all, I still feel like we're being held hostage.
The fact of the matter is, the country cannot default, period. And the consequences are scary and intimidating. We would be harming our economy for years to come, hurting seniors, veterans, children. I could go through the list. So default is not an option.
But that's why we're being held hostage, because I am one of the people that is read all 100 pages of this bill. And I have been asking questions for three days. And there are things in this bill that I would clearly not support. I believe people — when you talk about the environmental provisions, which, by the way, why are they even part of this, people focus on the West Virginia pipeline and they focus on transmission.
But I have read the bill. And I have questions and have raised it. I think it guts the heart of NEPA, which is the — considered the Magna Carta of environmental laws around the world. And I believe that communities have a right. Do I think the bill needs to be modernized? Yes. But I think communities have a right to have a say about their water, their air, their ground.
And I think people don't understand what the potential consequences of it are. And, two, when you talk about work requirements, I think they're raising the age for people aged 50 to 54. Well, there's a group I'm really worried about, which is women who have had to leave the work force during this pandemic. It's the sandwich generation. They're caregivers.
The definition of a dependent that would be eligible is a child 1 to 6 or someone that is totally an invalid, they can't — so most seniors don't fall into that definition.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sa7SZ6arn1%2Bjsri%2Fx6isq2ejnby4e8OepKibopbBqq%2BMq5ypZZSar6O1xGaboqaXmrmtecOiqpyto6iytHnHnqlmm5%2BjsKa%2BzaxksKGknXq1tMRmm56apGKxpq3L