Republicans and the debt ceiling

[Anonymous]

You know they republicans want to bomb the economy so badly that they will actually do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Americans should pay what they owe. That Congress is thinking of doing otherwise, particularly when Congress authorized the expenditures in the first place, is disgusting.

We are paying what we owe, and raising the debt ceiling ensures the same. Maybe ask, why did the GOP pass on partisan terms a tax cut that was unfunded? It exploded the debt by 8 trillion dollars. George Bush 43 quadrupled the debt with tax cuts and wild spending. Yet at every turn, it is left to the democrats to fix the mess. Well here we are with a president who was handed a tanked economy and a global pandemic, but has managed to right the ship only to be faced with this BS.

So sure, "Americans should pay what the owe" but one party seems to like to run up the debt and then leave it to the other side to fix it, all the while trying to sandbag the process.

Seems like we should not up the debt limit if we have people that are not responsible.

It is the GOP who are not responsible. Up the debt limit so we can get through to paying for the GOP extravagances and then actually negotiate a budget, which needs to happen by the Fall.

Seems odd. The GOP is the reckless spender, but you want to up the debt limit so they can continue to recklessly spend. Correct course would be to set a budget and not up the debt limit.

Raising the debt limit does not increase spending. Spending is increased by budgets, appropriations, and program authorizations.

Sure it does. Lets try an experiment and not raise the ceiling. I bet we will not spend past the current limit. I wouldn't be suprised if we actually re order our spending based on priorities and actually have things to cut. Its nice that we decided to spend past the limit, but oh well we didn't secure the funding.

Except some of our spending, a lot actually, is "automatic" and cannot just be cut. Are you the one who will tell a US service person somewhere else in the world that they aren't getting paid this week? Or grandma that she won't be getting social security so she should just eat cat food?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Close tax loopholes for the wealthy, raise taxes on the .01%, and cut the military industrial complex, ie Lockheed, Etc.

The GOP, which controls the House, won't agree to any of this.

[Anonymous]

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Democrats ran the House for the entire Reagan and GW Bush presidencies, and all but 2 years ran the Senate.

So you are saying the buck didn't stop with Reagan or Bush?

Really?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The 14th amendment does not authorize Biden to ignore the debt ceiling. It says that debts must be honored. The 14th amendment requires Biden to pay debts rather than other spending, if the debt ceiling is not raised.
It also says debts, authorized by law, must be paid. So if Biden borrows without Congress raising the debt ceiling, then this money does not have to be paid back.

So if Biden is unwilling to cut VA, Military, Defense, Social Security or Medicare/Medicaid, then there isn't anything else that can be cut that would address the issue.

So the GOP is essentially holding the world hostage for crumbs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Close tax loopholes for the wealthy, raise taxes on the .01%, and cut the military industrial complex, ie Lockheed, Etc.

That doesn't get you anywhere close to cutting the budget deficit, as can be seen by looking at tax brackets in Europe. It is not the rich paying for everything, but instead 40% tax rates or more on middle class, starting around 50-70k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Close tax loopholes for the wealthy, raise taxes on the .01%, and cut the military industrial complex, ie Lockheed, Etc.

The GOP, which controls the House, won't agree to any of this.

I know. They are only interested in hurting poor working people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Close tax loopholes for the wealthy, raise taxes on the .01%, and cut the military industrial complex, ie Lockheed, Etc.

That doesn't get you anywhere close to cutting the budget deficit, as can be seen by looking at tax brackets in Europe. It is not the rich paying for everything, but instead 40% tax rates or more on middle class, starting around 50-70k.

Cutting military spending can make a dent though. Getting out of Afghanistan is probably saving a hundred billion a year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wonder how much Biden and the moderate dems are going to cut? This is so typical of the dems. Just roll over and give the republicans everything they want.

Better watch it dems.

That's very helpful. Thank you for your contribution.

Clearly a republican sock puppet. If we are heading into austerity we know who is responsible and it’s not Dems.

The dems are 100% at faults for all cuts. Here is Biden’s and democrats bargaining position. We agree to all the cut just please do not make the cuts too big. The republicans control the house but the democratic senate and the president have capitulated to the J6’ers.

Hey democrats you were voted in office to fight for democratic issues not to help the republicans cut those programs.

Seriously what is the point voting democrat when they just roll over? What were the democratic negotiators asking for-immigration reform, gun control, reform of SCOTUS? No the dems went in to the “negotiations” ask what programs can we cut and by how much.

This is a total and complete win for the McCarthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Close tax loopholes for the wealthy, raise taxes on the .01%, and cut the military industrial complex, ie Lockheed, Etc.

That doesn't get you anywhere close to cutting the budget deficit, as can be seen by looking at tax brackets in Europe. It is not the rich paying for everything, but instead 40% tax rates or more on middle class, starting around 50-70k.

Guess you don’t understand “cutting tax loopholes”?? They can also raise taxes on Capital Gains and tax it closer to wages.

[Anonymous]

Not sure why pp contends this crisis is a total win for KM. He has a paper thin majority and is being held hostage in his negotiating powers by know nothing right wing extremists. How is this inability to lead in a rational good faith way a win?
I hope Biden finds a way to move forward with 14th Amendment .


Heather Cox Richardson, May 21, 2023

For all the talk of House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) negotiating over a budget that Republicans will then approve before they are willing to raise the debt ceiling, he has never had the votes of the extremists that he needs to make that happen. They are demanding that the Democrats dismantle the government programs that protect ordinary Americans in exchange for agreeing not to blow up the world economy.

And so, the battle over democracy has come down to the debt ceiling.

Today, Biden told reporters that he would not agree to the extremists’ demands. “We put forward a proposal that cuts spending by more than a trillion dollars, and on top of the nearly $3 trillion in deficit reduction that I previously proposed through the combination of spending cuts and new revenues,” he said.

“Let me be clear,” he said. “I’m not going to agree to a deal that protects, for example, a $30 billion tax break for the oil industry, which made $200 billion last year—they don’t need an incentive of another $30 billion—while putting healthcare of 21 million Americans at risk by going after Medicaid.

“I’m not going to agree to a deal that protects $200 billion in excess payments for pharmaceutical industries and refusing to count that while cutting over 100,000 schoolteachers and…assistants’ jobs, 30,000 law enforcement officers’ jobs cut across…the entire United States of America.

“And I’m not going to agree to a deal that protects wealthy tax cheats and crypto traders while putting food assistance at risk for nearly… 1 million Americans.

“And it’s time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely—solely—on their partisan terms. They have to move as well.

“All four congressional leaders agree with me that…default is not—let me say it again—default is not an option. And I expect each of…these leaders…to live up to that commitment.

“America has never defaulted—never defaulted on our debt, and it never will.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wonder how much Biden and the moderate dems are going to cut? This is so typical of the dems. Just roll over and give the republicans everything they want.

Better watch it dems.

That's very helpful. Thank you for your contribution.

Clearly a republican sock puppet. If we are heading into austerity we know who is responsible and it’s not Dems.

The dems are 100% at faults for all cuts. Here is Biden’s and democrats bargaining position. We agree to all the cut just please do not make the cuts too big. The republicans control the house but the democratic senate and the president have capitulated to the J6’ers.

Hey democrats you were voted in office to fight for democratic issues not to help the republicans cut those programs.

Seriously what is the point voting democrat when they just roll over? What were the democratic negotiators asking for-immigration reform, gun control, reform of SCOTUS? No the dems went in to the “negotiations” ask what programs can we cut and by how much.

This is a total and complete win for the McCarthy.

Oh please - KM only hangs in to his tiny minority by giving away all his power to right wing extremists.

You can’t blame the Dems for this mess.

Congress raised the debt ceiling without conditions three times when Trump was president as Trump added $7.8 trillion to the national debt, much of it thanks to his tax cuts for the ultra rich and corporations before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Immediately after Trump’s demand, the Republicans walked away from negotiations over the budget that they are demanding before they will vote to raise the debt ceiling.

The demand last week was text book Trump

Last week, former president Trump announced on his social media channel that “REPUBLICANS SHOULD NOT MAKE A DEAL ON THE DEBT CEILING UNLESS THEY GET EVERYTHING THEY WANT (Including the ‘kitchen sink’).” THAT’S THE WAY THE DEMOCRATS HAVE ALWAYS DEALT WITH US. DO NOT FOLD!!!”

Nice try blaming this on Dems but the fault lies firmly at the clay feet of the former president and his dysfunctional cult followers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wonder how much Biden and the moderate dems are going to cut? This is so typical of the dems. Just roll over and give the republicans everything they want.

Better watch it dems.

That's very helpful. Thank you for your contribution.

Clearly a republican sock puppet. If we are heading into austerity we know who is responsible and it’s not Dems.

The dems are 100% at faults for all cuts. Here is Biden’s and democrats bargaining position. We agree to all the cut just please do not make the cuts too big. The republicans control the house but the democratic senate and the president have capitulated to the J6’ers.

Hey democrats you were voted in office to fight for democratic issues not to help the republicans cut those programs.

Seriously what is the point voting democrat when they just roll over? What were the democratic negotiators asking for-immigration reform, gun control, reform of SCOTUS? No the dems went in to the “negotiations” ask what programs can we cut and by how much.

This is a total and complete win for the McCarthy.

Do you mean Kevin McCarthy who needed 15 rounds of voting to be Speaker?! The man is incapable of a total and complete win. Lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure why pp contends this crisis is a total win for KM. He has a paper thin majority and is being held hostage in his negotiating powers by know nothing right wing extremists. How is this inability to lead in a rational good faith way a win?
I hope Biden finds a way to move forward with 14th Amendment .


Heather Cox Richardson, May 21, 2023

For all the talk of House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) negotiating over a budget that Republicans will then approve before they are willing to raise the debt ceiling, he has never had the votes of the extremists that he needs to make that happen. They are demanding that the Democrats dismantle the government programs that protect ordinary Americans in exchange for agreeing not to blow up the world economy.

And so, the battle over democracy has come down to the debt ceiling.

Today, Biden told reporters that he would not agree to the extremists’ demands. “We put forward a proposal that cuts spending by more than a trillion dollars, and on top of the nearly $3 trillion in deficit reduction that I previously proposed through the combination of spending cuts and new revenues,” he said.

“Let me be clear,” he said. “I’m not going to agree to a deal that protects, for example, a $30 billion tax break for the oil industry, which made $200 billion last year—they don’t need an incentive of another $30 billion—while putting healthcare of 21 million Americans at risk by going after Medicaid.

“I’m not going to agree to a deal that protects $200 billion in excess payments for pharmaceutical industries and refusing to count that while cutting over 100,000 schoolteachers and…assistants’ jobs, 30,000 law enforcement officers’ jobs cut across…the entire United States of America.

“And I’m not going to agree to a deal that protects wealthy tax cheats and crypto traders while putting food assistance at risk for nearly… 1 million Americans.

“And it’s time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely—solely—on their partisan terms. They have to move as well.

“All four congressional leaders agree with me that…default is not—let me say it again—default is not an option. And I expect each of…these leaders…to live up to that commitment.

“America has never defaulted—never defaulted on our debt, and it never will.”

This is how it is a win for KM. Republicans control the house by a small margin. The democrats control the senate and the White House. KM has made the dems make cuts to democratic programs. That is a win for a party and leader who controls one chamber of congress. All the “negotiations” are about how much the democratic policies and programs should be cut. If they agree to anything it is a loss for the dems. They are just negotiating how big of a loss it will be.

On top of that all the parties have agreed and said on the record they will not allow a default. So why are the democrats negotiating away their programs? Biden said today he has agreed to a trillion dollars in cuts and he got nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wonder how much Biden and the moderate dems are going to cut? This is so typical of the dems. Just roll over and give the republicans everything they want.

Better watch it dems.

That's very helpful. Thank you for your contribution.

Clearly a republican sock puppet. If we are heading into austerity we know who is responsible and it’s not Dems.

The dems are 100% at faults for all cuts. Here is Biden’s and democrats bargaining position. We agree to all the cut just please do not make the cuts too big. The republicans control the house but the democratic senate and the president have capitulated to the J6’ers.

Hey democrats you were voted in office to fight for democratic issues not to help the republicans cut those programs.

Seriously what is the point voting democrat when they just roll over? What were the democratic negotiators asking for-immigration reform, gun control, reform of SCOTUS? No the dems went in to the “negotiations” ask what programs can we cut and by how much.

This is a total and complete win for the McCarthy.

If the other party isn't acting in good faith or willing to make sacrifices, then the options are to let it all burn down, or try to take a responsible path and hope the voters understand.

What, exactly, would you have the Dems do differently?