Hoyer To GOP: Drop The Brinksmanship Or Dems Won’t Help You Raise Debt Limit
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD)
The vote counter for House Democrats says Republicans shouldn't expect any Democratic votes for raising the debt limit unless they relent on their demand for deep program cuts and their refusal to consider any new tax revenues.
"I think if what the Republicans do is try to hold hostage the creditworthiness of the United States of America so that they can slash programs that are critically important to the American people and to stabilizing and growing the economy...they ought not to expect us to support that," Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) told reporters at his weekly briefing Tuesday.
Hoyer has acknowledged recently, and repeated today, that Republicans need Democratic votes to help the country avoid a default. Scores of House GOP members have pledged to vote against lifting the debt ceiling under all feasible circumstances, and that means preventing a default on the debt will require a bipartisan agreement.
But top Republicans say their key concession in these talks is their willingness to consider raising the debt limit at all. An angry Hoyer took explicit exception to this line.
"Almost every honest economist and observer points out that the debt that we are confronting has largely been incurred under Republican administrations," Hoyer said, before recounting all recent instances in which House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) voted to increase the debt limit without bellyaching.
"Mr. Boehner voted "aye" to extend the debt on February 8, 1996, on March 12, 1996, March 29, 1996, August 5, 1997, June 28, 2002, November 19, 2004, March 20, 2006, and October 3, 2008," Hoyer said. "Mr. Cantor voted to increase the national debt [limit] on June 28, 2002, when Mr. Bush was President, on November 19, 2004, when Mr. Bush was President, on March 20, 2006, when Mr. Bush was President, and October 3, the last time he did it, when Mr. Bush was President.... For Mr. Cantor to say that it was a major concession by the Republicans to sit down at the table to discuss getting to an agreement is an extraordinary comment to be made in a democracy."
"I think if what the Republicans do is try to hold hostage the creditworthiness of the United States of America so that they can slash programs that are critically important to the American people and to stabilizing and growing the economy...they ought not to expect us to support that," Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) told reporters at his weekly briefing Tuesday.
Hoyer has acknowledged recently, and repeated today, that Republicans need Democratic votes to help the country avoid a default. Scores of House GOP members have pledged to vote against lifting the debt ceiling under all feasible circumstances, and that means preventing a default on the debt will require a bipartisan agreement.
But top Republicans say their key concession in these talks is their willingness to consider raising the debt limit at all. An angry Hoyer took explicit exception to this line.
"Almost every honest economist and observer points out that the debt that we are confronting has largely been incurred under Republican administrations," Hoyer said, before recounting all recent instances in which House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) voted to increase the debt limit without bellyaching.
"Mr. Boehner voted "aye" to extend the debt on February 8, 1996, on March 12, 1996, March 29, 1996, August 5, 1997, June 28, 2002, November 19, 2004, March 20, 2006, and October 3, 2008," Hoyer said. "Mr. Cantor voted to increase the national debt [limit] on June 28, 2002, when Mr. Bush was President, on November 19, 2004, when Mr. Bush was President, on March 20, 2006, when Mr. Bush was President, and October 3, the last time he did it, when Mr. Bush was President.... For Mr. Cantor to say that it was a major concession by the Republicans to sit down at the table to discuss getting to an agreement is an extraordinary comment to be made in a democracy."
No comments:
Post a Comment