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

“I believe Speaker Boehner is overstating the support for his plan and the likelihood it will ever make it to the President’s desk.  Yet I remain optimistic that we can reach a deal because failure is not an option. 

“If this process has taught us anything, it is that the American people want both parties to work together to produce a fair and balanced plan that doesn’t ask our most vulnerable citizens to bear the burden of the financial crisis while letting the rich off the hook.  I call on all Members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike to work together with the President to achieve an honorable compromise in our nation’s best interests.  We must work together to do what’s right and produce a balanced, bipartisan, bicameral plan to deal with our budget deficits and our national debt.”