Washington, D.C. - Congressman Howard L. Berman (CA-28) released the following statement after voting in support of the final debt limit proposal to avoid a default on our national debt.

“This evening I voted to raise the debt ceiling.  This may not have been the most popular vote, but it was the responsible thing to do on behalf of the families I represent across the San Fernando Valley.  Should the nation have defaulted on its debt the cost of owning a home, buying food, filling a gas tank, sending children to college and buying a car would become even more expensive, squeezing already tight family budgets. 

“Voters sent us to Congress to be responsible and act with America’s best interest at heart.  Unfortunately, all we have seen out of many in Congress is political gamesmanship that brought our economy to the brink.  At a time when our economy is still recovering, American families cannot afford these political games.  It was imperative that Congress take action today to ensure the United States will pay its bills, and we will honor the full faith and credit of our country.

“This is not to say I agreed completely with the final plan.  I would have preferred to have voted in support of a balanced approach that included a mix of spending cuts and revenue increases – an approach that helped turn the deficit into a budget surplus in the 1990s under President Clinton.  Unfortunately, the Republicans’ no-compromise position meant this was not an option.  While we missed an opportunity to reduce our deficit in a way that creates jobs, strengthens the middle class, and grows our economy; the deciding factor for me was that this plan allowed us to avoid a default and the economic catastrophe that would have certainly ensued.”