Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has long been known as one of the biggest whiners in Congress, but he really outdid himself Sunday during an appearance on Fox when asked the debt ceiling agreement worked out between Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and President Joe Biden.
Graham’s main beef with the proposed legislation is that he claims it cuts military spending.
The South Carolina Republican told host Shannon Bream, “You know, number one, I respect Kevin McCarthy,” Graham said. “I want to raise the debt ceiling; it’d be irresponsible not to do it.”
“And I know you can’t get the perfect, but what I will not do is adopt the Biden defense budget and call it a success,” he complained. “Kevin said that the defense is fully funded. If we adopt the Biden defense budget, it increases defense spending below inflation. 3.2% increase in defense is below inflation.”
Graham then accused GOP supporters of the bill of “doing a great disservice to the party of Ronald Reagan.”
“I like Kevin a lot, but don’t tell me that the Biden defense budget fully funds the military,” Graham bristled. “So I look forward to the details, but if you send me the Biden defense budget to the United States Senate and declare it to the people of the United States, you will have a hard time with me.”
Unless spending on defense is increased, Graham insisted, he will not vote for the bill when it comes before the Senate.
“If you ask me now to swallow it because of the debt ceiling, you can forget it,” he remarked. “In 2011, my good friend Mitch McConnell negotiated to deal with Joe Biden that virtually destroyed the Defense Department in the name of raising the debt ceiling. Another round of sequestration, not only will I vote no, I will not be intimidated by June 5th.”
Virtually destroyed the Defense Department? Is that supposed to be some sort of joke? The one thing this country always funds above and beyond all other priorities (including children, education, food, and housing) is defense. For Graham to suggest otherwise is proof that he’s just as clueless and histrionic as ever.
Here’s the video of Lindsey clutching his pearls:
