On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) responded to then-House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) tying budget negotiations and debt ceiling negotiations together in 2019 by arguing that Republicans should just raise the debt limit.
After Auchincloss stated that fiscal policy and raising the debt ceiling are being conflated, co-host Joe Kernen said, “Back in 2019 — I’m looking at a CNN report, Congressman Auchincloss, ‘House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said late Tuesday…she’s seeing ‘progress’ in her twin budget and debt negotiations with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.’ It was — they didn’t call it conflating back then, they called it just trying to govern with a two-party system.”
Auchincloss responded, “What I’ve heard from [Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA)] is that the United States is not going to default on its debts. That’s welcome news. And so, if he’s saying that publicly, then let’s just raise the debt limit then. If it’s already off the table, then let’s just do it so that capital markets aren’t rattled, so that Americans’ retirement accounts don’t get dinged, and so that America’s global stature isn’t undermined. If it’s already off the table, let’s just do it. And if Republicans are so concerned about our spending and taxing problem, why is it that the very first bill that they passed when they took the majority raised our deficit and helped the wealthy and the well-connected evade their taxes? What I’m seeing on the other side of the aisle is a conference that is locked in internecine conflicts. Speaker Kevin McCarthy had to make some very painful promises to get that gavel and now Americans are paying the price for it.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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