Washington, D.C., July 15, 2011 -

Last night, U.S. Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA-09) appeared on Fox Business Network’s Freedom Watch with guest host Michael Graham to discuss the conservative movement’s progress in the debt limit debate, the President’s threat to Social Security recipients, and Moody’s warning of a credit rating downgrade. 

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Graves on Conservatives’ Progress in the Debt Limit Debate
What I would say is that conservatives are winning because now we’re voting on a Balanced Budget Amendment.  You know, a few weeks ago this wasn’t even heard of, it was referred to something that could never happen, but now we’re voting on it in the House, the Senate is planning on voting on it as well.  We’re talking about serious cuts.  We’re talking about caps to the federal government’s spending.  So, we have moved the needle a long way, and it’s all because of the freshman class, the tea party Republicans that are holding together.  And I tell you, I’m really proud to be a part of it because I think it’s going to change this nation, and this Congress will be defined by what occurs in the next couple weeks, as to how we respond to these difficult challenges we have.

Graves on Moody’s Warning of Credit Rating Downgrade
The question really is, do we want to make long lasting, systematic changes to Washington so we don’t end up in this mess again.  If so, if the answer is yes, then we got to just hold the course right now and demand a Balanced Budget Amendment, demand cuts in the deficit right now and not over the next ten, twelve years, but let’s deal with it now, and then cap the federal government’s spending.

So, we cannot make long term decisions based on these short term market reactions.  But, we’ve got to make long term decisions based on the future of our nation and moving through this debt crisis.  I mean, it’s going to crush the next generation if we don’t deal with it today.

On President Obama’s Threat To Social Security Recipients
Well, those are the scare tactics that are going to occur over the next couple of weeks. It’s unfortunate. I believe it’s below the office of the presidency. 
…
The President and the Secretary of the Treasury will have to make decisions on how do we manage the cash flows as a nation. If they want to choose not to pay Social Security beneficiaries and not to pay the military or Medicare benefits, that is such a poor decision when there are so many other liberal policies or liberal programs that they should not be funding.

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