Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger and Others React to Debt Ceiling Deal

With such a high concentration of federal jobs existing in and around Severn, Congress's was bound to affect thousands of residents. 

While many are glad to see tangible progress in Washington, politicians and civilians alike aren't raising their arms in victory over the deal. Some are hesitant to breathe easy while others say it's a step in the right direction. 

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) and a local businessman from Severn shared with Patch their feelings toward the deal. 

Jonathan Williams, a real estate consultant from Severn, said he was still trying to learn “what this all means in reality,” but said on the surface, it appears that a lot of the tough decisions about program cuts and tax revenue have yet to be made.

“It doesn’t sound like they are actually solving anything,” Williams said. “There are really tough decisions that have to be made, and nobody wants to bear the responsibility or the bragging rights of resolving anything.”

Williams said he believes the Aug. 2 "deadline" to complete a deal was overblown by lawmakers and the media, but he said he was repeatedly dismayed by the lack of cooperation by lawmakers during the debt deal negotiations.

“I’m completely disappointed in Congress, no matter what party they’re in,” Williams said. “They’re just not working together to solve stuff. There’s too many publicity stunts and people are just try to save face when I don’t think they have a face to save.”

While Williams still expressed uncertainty of the deal's quality, Ruppersberger said he was glad to see a resolution passed, ensuring that the nation wouldn't default on its loans. 

Here is his statement:

“Americans elect their representatives to work together to do what’s best for the country. Nothing is perfect, but politics is about consensus, and consensus is about making sacrifices for the good of our nation. If we had defaulted, all Americans would have been harmed, especially seniors, children, our middle class and those less fortunate.

As Ranking Member of the Intelligence Committee, I understand that our deficit weakens us as a country. This compromise makes serious cuts from both domestic and defense spending, while protecting our country’s most vulnerable groups, including seniors who have raised their families, paid their taxes and deserve to enjoy their golden years with their families. Today’s students will carry us into tomorrow’s economy and we must continue to invest in education. With both parties at the table, I am confident that we can make significant cuts while protecting these priorities.

As long as America’s commitment to pay its bills remains in question, so does our credit rating. That means higher interest rates – on homes, on cars, on school loans and on businesses looking to grow and hire. This compromise will prevent our country from defaulting on our debt, carrying us through at least 2013 and providing much-needed stability to the markets and businesses, which will help us create jobs.

I was confident that whether conservative, progressive or moderate, in the end, Congress would do the right thing for our country. Default was simply not an option. This political chess game has needlessly scared American families, concerned American businesses and crippled Washington for the past month. It’s time to get back to our top goal of creating jobs.”

Editor of Odenton Patch, Tim Lemke, contributed to this story.