NORWICH – Around 40 residents from across the county met with Congressman Richard Hanna yesterday for an open forum held at the Norwich Fire Department on East Main Street. Following the approximately 45 minute session, many of those in attendance had an opportunity to sit down face-to-face with the Congressman behind closed doors.
A number of topics were touched on during the open forum, including state hemp regulations, the plight of local dairy farmers, veteran’s benefits and the country’s ongoing presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Yet one topic overshadowed a significant portion of the gathering, as a small group of Norwich Tea Party Patriots peppered Congressman Hanna with questions and demands concerning the nation’s debt ceiling and its potential increase.
Norwich Tea Party Patriots Coordinator Gilda Ward said the Tea Party – on the local, regional and state levels – are firmly against raising the debt ceiling “under any circumstances.” Instead, she and her fellow patriots would like to see the federal government reduce spending dramatically.
As Ward, said, at this point, “We’re just increasing the pain.”
Michael Kicinski, a resident of Earlville and part of the Norwich Tea Party’s coordinating team, said the debt limit is there for a reason and any increase to it would only lead to an increase in spending.
“We need to pay down our debt, reduce spending, create a new, lower debt limit each time it’s paid down or we’ll never get out of it,” he stated. “It’s a no-brainer, even Congress should understand this.”
Doris Bame of Bainbridge said she believes the solution is actually quite simple.
“Just like we do in our own personal household or business, when we run out of money, our check book is empty and our credit cards are maxed-out, the solution is easy,” stated Bame. “Stop spending.”
The debt ceiling currently stands at approximately $14.6 trillion, according to Congressman Hanna, with an potential increase of $1.6 trillion on the table.
Hanna said that – in his view – the debt ceiling will invariably go up, not just this year, but every year for the next three to four years. He added that the United States has “never defaulted on a single dollar” and that “we can’t default on the debt we already owe.”
“We are the reserve currency of the world. We have the full faith and credit of the U.S. dollar to defend,” stated the Congressman. “I would like to see us settle this issue sooner rather than later. I think we need to send a message to the world that, not only are we capable of – like adults – talking about our financial issues, but getting ourselves on a trajectory.”
According to Hanna, it’s not all that complicated.
“We need to be able to borrow money in this country, get the concessions we can get to put us on a sane path and resolve this issue sooner rather than later,” he added.
As one of the first Republicans to publicly state that Congress “needs to end this conversation and move on,” Hanna said the most important thing is to put the country on an sustainable path over the course of the next eight to 12 years.
“If Republicans and Democrats don’t come to terms as a group, you’re essentially voting for failure,” said the Congressman. “These are dangerous times and it’s critical that we put ourselves on a path that’s responsible.”
Hanna defended his independent voting record and said it’s not about the Republican or Democratic parties.
“I believe in transparency. I ran that way and I work that way,” he added. “The vote that I make is the people’s vote.”