The dysfunction that plagues the political system in the United States is currently on full display. The federal government has been shut down for about two weeks with no apparent resolution in sight.
Worse still, the country is perilously close to reaching its debt ceiling, the amount of debt the federal government is permitted by law to accumulate.
Failing to raise the debt ceiling, which the government will reach on Thursday, could prevent the U.S. from paying interest on its debt. If the U.S. failed to meet its financial obligations on time, the result would be a default that could damage the country’s reputation with its creditors and potentially set off a panic in the financial sector. Economists and financial experts across the spectrum agree that a debt default by the United States could likely bring about a global economic crisis. A report from the Department of the Treasury stated that private-sector economic analysts widely agree that reaching the debt ceiling would “lead to events of the magnitude of late 2008 or worse.”
None of these dire predictions seem to matter to our own Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.), who has been content to ignore the analysis of financial experts in forming his own baseless assertions. In a recent interview with The Washington Post, Yoho said he believes the United States defaulting by reaching the debt ceiling would “bring stability to world markets.”
Yoho’s misguided opinions about the potential effects of reaching the debt ceiling have been widely criticized, even by his fellow House Republicans. Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.) described Yoho’s predictions on a debt default as “crazy talk.”
As if Yoho’s ignorant comments on the debt ceiling were not preposterous enough, he has also attacked the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have been furloughed as a result of the government shutdown he helped engineer.
On Oct. 5, the House voted to approve back pay for these federal workers, which ensures they will not be financially punished for the failure of Congress to agree on a plan to fund the government.
Although Yoho voted in favor of the bill, he now claims he opposes providing compensation to the federal employees put out of work as a result of the shutdown. During a phone conversation with a constituent, Yoho said of government employees, “If they’re not working, they shouldn’t get paid.”
These federal employees, furloughed from their jobs through no fault of their own, wait anxiously for the government shutdown to be resolved so they can return to work. In addition, thousands of other federal workers whose jobs are deemed “essential,” including the Capitol Police and employees of the Department of Homeland Security, must work without pay until the shutdown ends.
Meanwhile, Yoho continues to collect his congressional salary, paid in full by the federal government.
Yoho’s destructive and misinformed comments are just the latest evidence he is completely unfit for elected office. In the November 2014 congressional elections, Gainesville voters will have the chance to remove Yoho and replace him with someone who competently represents their views and interests.
Any citizen of Gainesville who supports a strong and healthy economy and wants political leaders who can deal effectively with the challenges our country faces should take full advantage of that opportunity and vote Yoho out of office.
Elliot Levy is a UF political science and public relations junior. His column runs on Wednesdays. A version of this column ran on page 6 on 10/16/2013 under the headline "Yoho’s comments evidence of incompetence"
