WASHINGTON, DC—Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn today issued the following statement on Speaker Boehner's debt ceiling bill:  

"For two days, America has had the misfortune of watching Speaker John Boehner play partisan political games that have not moved us any closer to the end game.  

"Meanwhile, the markets continue to fall, the wealth gap continues to expand, and job growth is painfully slow.  States, including my home state of South Carolina, worry that Republican recklessness in Washington will hurt their credit ratings.

"Time is running out.  We need to work together to raise the debt ceiling so we can honor our obligations and move on to address the real problems facing our country in a balanced way that protects the most vulnerable, including Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security beneficiaries.

"Now that this bill has been tabled by the Senate, I sincerely hope that we can find a bipartisan and bicameral solution to this self-inflicted crisis.  Democrats are ready to make tough compromises; I hope Republicans will join us."