I will probably cross post, this also deserves a spot here. For what it is worth I received this within 16 hours of writing congressman Baird's office, and asking why I should ever vote for him again. I can believe he received a bunch of input wanting "the deal" passed. Sad.
"Dear Mr. JWamplerUSA,
I take my responsibility to represent your voice very seriously; this is especially true on votes where the stakes are so high. On Saturday, when Speaker McCarthy and President Biden announced they had reached a deal, I began painstakingly combing through all 99 pages of the bill text, running the numbers, and reading every reputable analysis or bill summary I could access. On Tuesday, I solicited the counsel of my constituents— whom I have the privilege to speak for in the House of Representatives— and the majority of you agreed: though it’s not the a perfect piece of legislation, the consequences of defaulting on the national debt were far too severe. Without the economic certainty this legislation provides, the shockwaves radiating from our nation’s capital would be devastating for millions of seniors, veterans, and hardworking American families. The repercussions would spread from Wall Street to your wallets, and I simply could not and would not gamble with your household’s financial well-being. The Fiscal Responsibility Act is a sure first step towards reining in Congressional Democrats’ bad spending habits, and the estimated $2.1 trillion in savings the CBO projects this legislation will generate is a strong down payment. This will not only spare us from paying $188 billion in additional interest fees but stands to save $6,223 per person— or $15,854 per household— over the next decade.
It’s widely contended that a deal where everyone walks away a little disappointed is the sign of a successful compromise, and this bill achieves those standards. Each party made concessions, and we walked away sparing the nation from significant and wide-reaching economic turmoil with the opportunity to learn from a narrowly-skirted disaster and room to continue making progress. We did not sacrifice the “good” for an unobtainable “perfect”, and together, just as we promised, House Republicans have taken a substantive step forward in reining in Democrats’ unchecked spending.
Congress has developed a bad habit of spending without abandon— a practice that would not be acceptable for your own household budgets— and that must stop. For every $100 accrued in debt, Congress spends $129. This unsustainable spending must stop, but before we can fix the problem, we’ve got to stop the figurative bleeding.
I appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with me as I deliberated over how to vote on this critical legislation. The majority of you made it clear to me where you stood on this bill, and I was grateful not only to hear your advice but to honor it.
I remain humbled by the opportunity to represent you in Congress and will continue voting on legislation that promotes our shared values and puts Hoosiers and hardworking Americans first.
Sincerely,
Image
Jim Baird
Member of Congress"
"Dear Mr. JWamplerUSA,
I take my responsibility to represent your voice very seriously; this is especially true on votes where the stakes are so high. On Saturday, when Speaker McCarthy and President Biden announced they had reached a deal, I began painstakingly combing through all 99 pages of the bill text, running the numbers, and reading every reputable analysis or bill summary I could access. On Tuesday, I solicited the counsel of my constituents— whom I have the privilege to speak for in the House of Representatives— and the majority of you agreed: though it’s not the a perfect piece of legislation, the consequences of defaulting on the national debt were far too severe. Without the economic certainty this legislation provides, the shockwaves radiating from our nation’s capital would be devastating for millions of seniors, veterans, and hardworking American families. The repercussions would spread from Wall Street to your wallets, and I simply could not and would not gamble with your household’s financial well-being. The Fiscal Responsibility Act is a sure first step towards reining in Congressional Democrats’ bad spending habits, and the estimated $2.1 trillion in savings the CBO projects this legislation will generate is a strong down payment. This will not only spare us from paying $188 billion in additional interest fees but stands to save $6,223 per person— or $15,854 per household— over the next decade.
It’s widely contended that a deal where everyone walks away a little disappointed is the sign of a successful compromise, and this bill achieves those standards. Each party made concessions, and we walked away sparing the nation from significant and wide-reaching economic turmoil with the opportunity to learn from a narrowly-skirted disaster and room to continue making progress. We did not sacrifice the “good” for an unobtainable “perfect”, and together, just as we promised, House Republicans have taken a substantive step forward in reining in Democrats’ unchecked spending.
Congress has developed a bad habit of spending without abandon— a practice that would not be acceptable for your own household budgets— and that must stop. For every $100 accrued in debt, Congress spends $129. This unsustainable spending must stop, but before we can fix the problem, we’ve got to stop the figurative bleeding.
I appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts with me as I deliberated over how to vote on this critical legislation. The majority of you made it clear to me where you stood on this bill, and I was grateful not only to hear your advice but to honor it.
I remain humbled by the opportunity to represent you in Congress and will continue voting on legislation that promotes our shared values and puts Hoosiers and hardworking Americans first.
Sincerely,
Image
Jim Baird
Member of Congress"