Originally published May 30, 2023 2:00 pm PDT
Many conservatives are furious with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy over his deal with President Biden to raise the debt ceiling.
QUICK FACTS:
- MAGA conservatives are criticizing House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) after he made a deal with President Biden regarding the debt ceiling.
- “This ‘deal’ is insanity. A $4T debt ceiling increase with virtually no cuts is not what we agreed to. Not gonna vote to bankrupt our country. The American people deserve better,” Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) said.
- GOP Rep. Chip Roy of Texas warned that the U.S. is “barreling” toward unlimited debt and urged members of the Republican Party to stay with the plan introduced by the House of Representatives at the beginning of the year.
- “We could pass right now, sweep the COVID money, sweep the IRS money that was to expand the IRS to go after the American people — three to five times more going after minorities and hardworking Americans who are poorer than the wealthy and non-minorities,” Roy said.
- “Why don’t we take that money, give Janet Yellen what she needs for some breathing room in June and July, and then let’s actually pass a responsible debt ceiling increase,” the congressman continued.
- Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) said the agreement is less than a good deal for conservatives.
- “I am hearing the ‘deal’ is for a $4 trillion increase in the debt limit,” Good tweeted. “IF that is true, I don’t need to hear anything else. No one claiming to be a conservative could justify a YES vote.”
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC) ON THE DEBT LIMIT DEAL:
“The Biden defense budget was a joke before, and if we adopt it as Republicans, we will be doing a big disservice to the party of Ronald Reagan,” Graham said.
BACKGROUND:
- McCarthy (R-CA) announced the “agreement in principle” with Joe Biden on a deal to raise the federal debt ceiling over the weekend.
- “I just got off the phone with the president a bit ago. After he wasted time and refused to negotiate for months, we’ve come to an agreement in principle that is worthy of the American people,” McCarthy wrote on Twitter.
- Named the “Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023,” the bill provides for an increase to the debt ceiling of $31.4 trillion for two years, meaning no further negotiations will take place before the next election cycle.
- Also included in the agreement reached between the White House and House Republicans was a cap in military spending at $886 billion for 2024.
- The deal would rescind some funding that Congress allocated for COVID but did not spend.
- McCarthy’s office said the deal would take back “billions in unspent Covid funds” but offered no further information.
