Heller Takes Extreme, Irresponsible Vote That Would Cause Economic Catastrophe

Las Vegas, NV – Unelected Senator Dean Heller today cast an extreme, irresponsible vote to send the United States into a catastrophic default that would have led to a financial meltdown and cost millions of job losses across the United States.  Heller's vote was in contrast to responsible conservative Republican leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate, and more extreme than dozens of TEA Party members of the Republican caucus who voted in favor of avoiding an economic catastrophe. 
 
“Dean Heller's extreme vote today is just the latest example of what a right wing ideologue he has become," said Zach Hudson, spokesperson for the Nevada State Democratic Party. "After voting three times to kill Medicare by turning it over to private insurance companies, Heller just voted to increase the interest rate on every Nevadan who owns a credit card, pays a mortgage or has an auto loan.  He just voted today to send millions of Americans to the unemployment line. And he just voted to put the Social Security, Medicare and veterans benefits that Nevadans rely on in jeopardy."
 
Debt Compromise Is Responsible Thing To Do:
 
WSJ - TEA PARTY SEES NO TRIUMPH IN COMPROMISE: The agreement to cut deficits and raise the debt ceiling hammered together in Washington caps a remarkable two-year surge by the tea-party movement—forcing Republicans and Democrats alike to refocus on spending and, at the same time, proving the political power of the tea party.  Yet, a chorus of tea-party activists and leaders across the country denounced the agreement on Monday, saying it included little in the way of the change they actually sought…. The reaction of tea-party activists to what most political observers perceive to be their greatest victory so far underscores the paradox of the movement. By using the debt ceiling as a lever, their minority bloc in the House of Representatives pushed Republicans into a defiant no-new-taxes position and erected a bulwark to federal spending…. And some of the movement's early foot soldiers—those whose enthusiasm two years ago helped propel the movement onto the national stage—have grown disillusioned. "All the protests, the organization, the fundraising, the block-walking, has it done anything? Are we better off than we were two years ago? I say 'No,'" says Dan Blackford, who until earlier this year led a tea-party chapter in suburban Houston. http://on.wsj.com/nXiGdC
 
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is pushing his Republican colleagues to vote in favor of the debt deal. "I think we've achieved a significant success," McCain told reporters. "There's no tax increases, we kept the government from being shut down, we do have a plan long term." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/01/debt-ceiling-deal-reached_n_905841.html The bill would "change the direction of this country,"
 
Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said, adding the lack of tax hikes in the deal is a"big win."http://cantor.house.gov/press-release/congressman-cantor-statement-house-passage-budget-control-act
 
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), chairman of the House Budget Committee, said the bill is "a good step in the right direction." http://budget.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=254750 Haley Barbour (he’s talking w respect to Boehner plan here… but speaks highly of compromise, anyway)
 
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) : "Our people have to understand that we can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good," Barbour said. Speaking on conservative Laura Ingraham's radio show, Barbour warned that only compromise would produce a "good" deficit deal. "If I had my way, if I were a dictator, we'd have no tax increases," he said. "But Republicans control one half of one third of the government."http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/173519-haley-barbour-criticizes-demint-for-not-supporting-boehner

Massachusetts Republican Party Chairman Jennifer Nassour stated: "Voting to send our country into default represents the height of irresponsibility, and these lawmakers owe their constituents an explanation for their incredibly reckless decision. Massachusetts voters deserve more than blind ideology and a total refusal to compromise. With these five congressmen having spent more than a combined century in Congress, it's finally time to shake up the status quo and give the Commonwealth some fresh, independent representation in Washington."
 
Even former Bush Press Secretary Ari Fleischer calls Republicans who vote against the compromise extreme. [http://twitter.com/#!/AriFleischer/status/98198535283015682]
 
Background on how a default could impact Nevada:
 
408,113 Nevada seniors would have been in danger of having their Social Security benefits disrupted
 
340,198 Nevada seniors who rely on Medicare could have had their benefits in jeopardy
 
243,867 Nevada veterans would have been at risk of having their benefits disrupted
 
1,374 of Nevada’s active duty and reserve troops could have stopped receiving pay checks