Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) today joined fellow House Democrats on the House Floor to demand the Republican majority join them in ending the Republican-inflicted debt crisis immediately and pay America's bills without politics.

“The overwhelming majority of Americans don't want the far right driving our national agenda,” said Rep. Scanlon. “Responsible Republicans need to come to the table for the American people, not skip town with the MAGA extremists.”

House Republicans are leaving town for the long weekend while America speeds toward a catastrophic default on our debt, which will raise costs on Pennsylvania families, wipe out retirement savings, hike interest rates, and crash the stock market. Rep. Scanlon has signed on to legislation that allows a bipartisan solution that prevents default and saves our economy. If five House Republicans sign the same legislation, the crisis can be ended immediately.

This Republican default on our debt would:

• Kill about 7,600 jobs in PA-05 alone. Nationwide, a default could kill more than 7 million jobs.
• Jeopardize Social Security payments for 93,000 families in PA-05.
• Put health benefits at risk for 269,000 people in PA-05 who rely on Medicare, Medicaid, or Veterans Affairs health coverage.
• Increase lifetime mortgage costs for the typical homeowner in Pennsylvania by $37,000.
• Raise the costs of a new car loan for the typical American by $800.
• Threaten the retirement savings of 99,400 people near retirement in PA-05, eliminating $20,000 from the typical retirement portfolio.

###