The looming fiscal crisis is manufactured, according to Senator Dick Durbin, who says that years of inaction by a divided congress have led to the possibility of higher taxes for everyone alongside deep cuts in vital government services.
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Senator Dick Durbin speaking to reporters |
Durbin says everything must be on the table as Congress tries to avoid falling off the “fiscal cliff.” And he says that includes each party’s most sacred cows… like military spending and entitlement programs.
The senior senator from Illinois also says both spending cuts and new revenue must be part of the mix.
But he warns it could take months to determine which percentage of each should go into the final plan, and to craft the legislation to make it happen.
Durbin spoke to the Citizens Club of Springfield Friday where he said that the 13 days of work congress has left before the December 31st deadline will not be enough to solve the problem.
He says that congress can un-manufacture the crisis by agreeing to extend the tax cuts for another six months so they can come back after the New Year and correct the problem.
Durbin says if nothing is done, the consequences will be disastrous.
