Protests in Sharon, Salem Target GOP House Members
SHARON, Pa. -- Missa Eaton walked up to the front door of U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly's downtown office here, and before a crowd of 20, posted what she called a "cease and desist" order on the front window of the congressman's office. The order demanded that he refrain from the extreme politics that has led to a partial shutdown of the federal government.
"Your extreme politics are destroying the American Dream," Eaton said of Kelly. "We demand that you immediately stop forcing a government shutdown."
With Congress at an impasse and the clock ticking toward the United States defaulting on its debt at midnight, activists homed in on the offices of two Republican lawmakers Tuesday demanding they "do the right thing,” that is, pass a bill that will fund the government before the country defaults on its debt for the first time in its history.
Protesters gathered in front of Kelly's office here, the Pennsylvania Republican who represents the state's 3rd district. Hours later, members of the AFL-CIO also staged a small protest in front of U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson's office in Salem, Ohio. Johnson represents Ohio's 6th district.
Both groups presented the same, direct message to their elected lawmakers: reopen the government, refrain from extremism, and end the political brinkmanship that could bring the U.S. economy – and the world economy -- to a grinding halt.
The event here was part of a larger effort sponsored by Keystone Progress that delivered several cease and desist letters to GOP lawmakers across the commonwealth.
"We're trying to explain to Congressman Kelly that we're not happy with the austerity program, we want them to fund the government and we want them to pay our bills," she said of Congress. "There's no reason we can't do that."
She blames blame solely on Republican lawmakers for the shutdown, accusing them of holding the country "hostage" by mandating that the Affordable Care Act be stripped of funding before any budget bill could be considered. The Republicans have since dropped that condition.
The group implored Kelly – who was not in his Sharon office – to vote in support of restoring funding and help return government employees to their jobs, resume funding of social programs to help the poor and elderly, and restore social services to American veterans.
Military retiree Chuck Baldoff, who joined demonstrators yesterday, said what is needed, “first and foremost,” is that lawmakers reopen the government. "This shutdown is hurting everybody, from the littlest person to the big person,” he said. “We also need to lift the debt ceiling. It doesn't add a nickel to the debt."
In a statement released yesterday, Kelly said that he welcomes feedback from his constituents and "appreciates their right to peaceably assemble. I share their desire to see this budget stalemate ended, and like most Americans, wants to reach a serious solution that lifts the unfair debt burden from our children's and grandchildren's future."
Talks among Republican leaders in the House of Representative broke down yesterday afternoon after it became clear that they were unable to craft a plan that tea party members of their caucus would accept.
Republican leaders canceled a vote Tuesday evening that could have allowed the government to reopen, and negotiations have resumed in the Senate to formulate a new bill.
As this melodrama played out in Washington, a handful of protestors stood outside Johnson's office in Salem, Ohio. Johnson has been a vocal opponent of the Affordable Care Act.
"The Congress is holding us ransom [sic]. It's wrong," said Kathleen Kelly-Calcei, a campaign organizer for the AFL-CIO. She and six others stood outside Johnson's office and held signs protesting the shutdown and singling out extremists in the Republican Party as the culprits.
"We have a very extreme part of the Congress who won't reason and want to hold us hostage," Kelly-Calcei said. "This is one person that we're very concerned about who’s not willing to negotiate and pass a clean bill," she said of Johnson.
Daniel Sciury, president of the Hall of Fame Central Labor Council AFL-CIO, says it's imperative that Johnson get on board and pass a clean bill that will end to the shutdown and avoid a default.
"We're hoping they'll get this message and get this government reopened," he said. "People really want our government back open and working on behalf of the people."
An email request for a statement through Johnson's district press secretary, Ben Keeler, was returned with an automatic reply stating that by law, he couldn't provide any information. He, like thousands of other federal employees, was furloughed with the partial shutdown of the government.
RELATED:
NY TIMES: Debt talks in disarray as House balks
FOX NEWS: Senate leaders restart fiscal talks after House GOP scraps vote on budget
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
CLICK HERE to subscribe to our twice-monthly print edition and to our free daily email headlines.