Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) told Breitbart News in an exclusive interview on Thursday that the Republican debt ceiling is a “step in the right direction.”
Norman spoke to Breitbart News as Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and the rest of the Republican leadership unveiled the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023. The legislation would raise the debt limit by $1.5 trillion, which would likely extend the limit through March 2024. The bill aims to cut federal spending by $130 billion in the next year.
Although the bill has been widely applauded by Senate conservatives and even Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Norman, and other members of the House Freedom Caucus, still have reservations about the bill.
Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-PA) said Thursday that the bill needs “revisions in the language” before he can vote for it.
Norman told Breitbart News that House Republicans should proverbially shoot for the moon with the debt ceiling reform.
“It is a step in the right direction. If the President had his way, it’d be a clean debt limit increase, which is insane for putting this country in the bind that it’s already in. We got definite spending cuts. We got work requirements for any of those and basically receive a government paycheck. We’ve got taken out the IRS, defunded the FBI building, a lot of tax credits, which government should not be picking winners and losers. I’m excited about it. We’ve got to still do some work on it, but it’s a step in the right direction.”
Republicans have a slim majority in the House, but the GOP has been able to unite and pass legislation despite the significant hurdles to passing contentious legislation.
The South Carolina conservative said that he would love to see a repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act, a bill stuffed with climate change proposals that would do little to reduce inflation, included in the debt ceiling bill.
He added that he would love to see an increased work requirement beyond 20 hours.
Norman said that he is excited that the House Republican majority is starting to reduce spending.
He said, “I am excited about the fact that we’re beginning to cut things and [it] couldn’t come at a better time.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.