Debt Ceiling – Deep Left Field

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:

CNBC host Sara Eisen repeatedly asked Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) why he’s refusing to repeal the Trump tax cuts as part of the ongoing debate over raising the nation’s debt ceiling.

McCarthy was in New York to discuss the debt ceiling and stabilizing financial markets, and he wondered if Eisen would allow the country to continue to tax and spend: “Would you just raise the limit?”

Eisen replied, “Well, if it meant playing with America’s standing and full faith and credit of U.S. government debt, I feel like you can deal with the spending in other ways, which is totally legitimate.”

When McCarthy said debt can only be reduced with massive spending cuts, Eisen wondered, “You did it (raised the debt ceiling) three times in the Trump administration.”

The Speaker protested, “We never raised the debt ceiling by itself.”

Eisen: “And tax cuts. That was like $2 trillion in deficit.”

When McCarthy said those tax cuts had been good for the economy, Eisen countered, “So I was going to ask you about taxes because I wonder, because you want to extend the Trump tax cuts, correct? But isn’t that a little hypocritical when you’re talking about finding savings everywhere and being on an unsustainable fiscal path?”

In response, McCarthy resorted to his favorite trick: He lied.

“How’s that hypocritical when it’s bringing tax cuts, tax savings? I will always advocate for the idea that we are streamlining our tax policies, that we’re also streamlining our regulation.”

Someone please explain the basics of economics to Kevin McCarthy. It’s clear he has no damn idea what he’s talking about.

Here’s the video from CNBC: