Debt Ceiling Crisis Brings Protesters To Dent's Door

As the debt ceiling crisis looms in Washington, 18 people encouraged by MoveOn.org dropped by in South Whitehall today to protest any cuts to Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security in an effort to deal with the problem.

Dent, R-15th District, was in Washington, D.C., not at his local office. 

However, Matthew McConnell, who handles constituent concerns for Dent, assured the group that he would pass its message to the congressman. He also handed out copies of Dent's opinion piece, released Monday, that addresses the showdown that's nearing in Washington over competing plans to deal with national spending and the debt ceiling.

The exchanges were short, though filled with some tension, as the group crowded into Dent's outer office on the second floor of 3900 Hamilton Blvd. 

Tom Ulrich of Bethlehem said those who turned out want Dent to know that they do not support a congressional debt ceiling that would hurt the middle class. He said they want corporations to pay their fair share of taxes and they do not want to see cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. 

One woman said Dent must realize that he represents a "middle income" district.

"I think it helps people to say, 'I'm doing something, I'm out there,'" Ulrich said afterward about the visit to Dent's office.

They identified themselves to Dent's staff as his constituents, not members of Moveon.org, a liberal public policy advocacy group and political action committee.

Ulrich said "we the people" are getting upset over concerns that they are not being fairly represented in Congress.

In a statement sent out electronically Monday night to his newsletter subscribers and published earlier by The Morning Call, Dent said it's not an option for America to default on its obligations to seniors, creditors, military personnel and others. He said that a default can be avoided by raising the debt ceiling, but that preventing a ratings downgrade of the U.S. government would be "a much more demanding, painful exercise..."

Dent's full opinion piece is posted here. 

He offered what he called an "intermediate" approach to the debt ceiling crisis:

"Immediate spending cuts that exceed a debt-ceiling increase through January, a binding commitment to: enact comprehensive tax reform that eliminates tax breaks and loopholes in exchange for lower marginal rates that will spur economic growth and create jobs; long-term spending reforms, including caps; and budget enforcement mechanisms."

Reached Tuesday afternoon, Dent said he likes what he sees so far in House Speaker John Boehner’s plan, which calls for temporarily raising the nation’s debt ceiling in exchange for $1.2 trillion in spending cuts. Another phase calls for a bipartisan congressional committee to review mandatory spending for additional, future cuts.

"We are very serious about putting this country on a sustainable fiscal path," Dent said.

He said the situation in Washington remains "very fluid."

Moveon.org sent messages to its distribution list urging supporters to visit their local congressional office at noon today to express their views on the debt ceiling standoff.