ReADiNg, riTInG N riThMeTiC: I recently sent 2 petitions, both accomp by letters to our DE State Repres. The 1st, regarding our existing No Kill Animal Shelters, Sanctuaries, Havens, Hospices, etc. & existing Animal Rights Laws with a proposal for change. The 2nd, asking for the addition of 911 Location & Emergency Services to be added to All Cell Phone Services. By eliminating the Usage/ Data Services given with free cell phones, maybe millions could be saved with the addition of 911 Services! Below is the latest response I recd. I appreciate his response in my concerns. November 6, 2013 Dear Mrs. Tifer: Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. I sincerely apologize for the delay in responding to your message. As a result of the federal government shutdown that lasted more than two weeks, I was not able to respond to your concerns in a timely manner. I am deeply frustrated and embarrassed that Congress inability to agree on funding legislation prevented me from being able to perform one of my most important duties as a senator—communicating with Delawareans. Please know that I believe any Delawarean who takes the time to express their personal views with me deserves my full attention and consideration. Shutting down the federal government, furloughing as many as 800,000 federal employees, and denying Americans access to the basic federal services due to them was not a responsible way to resolve our nation’s political disagreements. Nor was risking defaulting on our nation’s debt, which would have had a crippling effect on our fragile recovery. If the debt ceiling was not raised, nonpartisan analysts expected the U.S. Treasury to run out of cash to pay our bills sometime in the two weeks following October 17, 2013. That is why, on October 16, 2013, I voted in favor of H.R. 2775 to end the shutdown of the federal government and avert a default on our nation’s debt. As relieved as I am that we brought this latest manufactured crisis to an end, I remain enormously frustrated that it ever got this far. Sixteen days of a shutdown government, at least $24 billion in economic losses, a warning of a U.S. credit rating downgrade, and rattled global markets were collateral damage in a political conflict led by a small group within the minority party. It was reckless, dangerous, and irresponsible, and I have heard from an array of Delawareans who agree that this is no way to govern. Our nation’s economy should never be used as a political bargaining chip. Furthermore, I do not believe that members of Congress deserved to have been paid during the government shutdown, and I have returned my pay to the Treasury for the amount I was paid during that time. We have real economic challenges to face as a nation, but we need to confront them together and we all need to play by the rules. Negotiating over the federal budget is a good place to start, and I’m glad that we finally have agreement — seven months after the Senate passed its budget — to proceed to those difficult negotiations. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I will be an active part of those negotiations. It is time to put this crisis behind us and move forward, refocusing on supporting job growth and rebuilding our economy. Again, thank you for contacting me. I am honored to represent Delaware in the United States Senate and truly value hearing from Delawareans on issues of concern. My website, coons.senate.gov, can provide additional details about my work in the Senate, including legislation and state projects. I value your input and hope you will continue to keep me informed of the issues that matter to you. Sincerely, Christopher A. Coons United States Senator
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 19:15:47 +0000
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