Washington, DC – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation related to the federal debt limit, threatening major programs vital to people living in America’s cities and resources used to tackle the nation’s biggest challenges. In response, Tom Cochran, CEO and Executive Director of the United States Conference of Mayors, issued the following statement:

“It’s time to end this charade and pass a debt limit bill that does not threaten our entire economy. Congress has an obligation to pay its bills and should do so without this extreme partisanship. The House’s proposal would be devastating for the people who live in American cities. It would wipe out the enormous progress we made to rebound from the pandemic. This bill takes away tools from local leaders working to solve their communities’ problems and unravels cities’ ongoing pandemic recovery efforts. Draconian cuts in domestic programs would hurt people who benefit from them directly, and stymie cities’ ability to deliver essential services. Moreover, repeal of Inflation Reduction Act funding represents an abdication of responsibility to address the growing climate crisis that now impacts almost every American. The Senate should reject this bill, the President should ignore it, and Congress needs to do its job by passing a clean debt limit increase without further delay or drama.”