Schumer says McCarthy ‘wasted effort’ on debt ceiling plan the Senate will reject
Rachel Schilke
Video Embed
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is wasting his time gathering votes for a debt ceiling bill the Senate will reject and President Joe Biden plans to veto.
While speaking on the Senate floor on Wednesday, Schumer mockingly referred to the GOP plan as the “Default on America Act” and said it “does not bring us any closer to avoiding a first-ever default.”
MCCARTHY DEBT CEILING PLAN WOULD REDUCE DEFICIT BY $4.8 TRILLION OVER NEXT DECADE, CBO SAYS
“In fact, it only brings us dangerously closer to defaulting,” Schumer said, claiming McCarthy’s proposal will “wipe out” nearly 30,000 law enforcement jobs and 18,000 new manufacturing jobs created through the Inflation Reduction Act — a longtime target of Republicans.
McCarthy’s plan, which is called the Limit, Save, Grow Act, underwent changes late Tuesday night in the House Rules Committee, which House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) said were “technical,” adding that no substantial alterations were made. McCarthy and House GOP leadership caved to a request from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) to begin work requirements for public assistance programs in 2024, not 2025 as the original proposal planned, likely securing Gaetz’s “yes” vote on the bill.
The House speaker needs 218 votes to pass the legislation, and with a razor-thin majority, he can only afford to lose four votes. Several centrist Republicans are mulling their position on the bill, unsure of which way they are going to vote on a bill that could hit the floor as early as Wednesday.
Schumer said all of McCarthy’s efforts are in vain.
“Let me be clear: Democrats cannot and will not allow the Republicans’ DOA Act to ever become law,” he said. “Speaker McCarthy needs to realize that all of the energy he is putting into passing the ‘Default on America Act’ will be wasted effort.”
“The Speaker should drop the brinkmanship, drop the hostage-taking, come to the table with Democrats, pass a clean bill to avoid default,” Schumer continued, adding that Democrats want to see a “clean” debt limit increase passed.
Emmer criticized Schumer’s offer at a press conference Wednesday.
“Don’t be fooled — there is no such thing as a clean debt ceiling increase. That’s about as dirty as it gets,” Emmer said. “Handing Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden a blank check for more of their reckless spending that’s driving inflation and destroying family finances.”
House Republicans, including McCarthy, have blasted Biden for not sitting down and discussing the GOP’s debt ceiling proposal. Emmer said even Democrats, such as centrist Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), are calling for Biden to meet with McCarthy.
“Joe Biden, Senate Democrats have done absolutely nothing but obstruct,” Emmer said. “Members of Biden’s own party now want him to do the responsible thing and negotiate.
“He is playing with Americans’ lives and the economic health of our nation, all in the name of his political theater. It’s truly disgusting and revolting,” Emmer added.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The White House said Biden will veto McCarthy’s bill should it pass the House and the Senate, which is unlikely. Emmer, however, is confident the bill will be passed.
“Our members built this legislation from the ground up, and our members are going to pass it,” he said. “House Republicans, again, are the only ones that are armed with solutions to this problem. It’s time for Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer to show us what they’re made of.”