Update to Fact Checking GQP Propaganda On Federal Debt: Republicans Are More Than Equally To Blame.
Kenny Stancil writes for Common Dreams, House Freedom Caucus economic hostage-takers issue latest ransom demands:
A cadre of far-right [extremist] Republicans announced Friday that they may only vote to raise the debt ceiling if Congress agrees to cut hundreds of billions of dollars in social spending, limit federal agencies’ future budgets, and abandon progressive elements of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda.
Since Washington’s arbitrary and arguably unconstitutional borrowing limit was breached in January, the Treasury Department has implemented “extraordinary measures” enabling the U.S. government to meet its obligations for a few additional months. Unless the Biden administration takes unilateral action to disarm the debt ceiling, Congress has until sometime between July and September to increase or suspend the nation’s borrowing cap. If Republicans refuse to do so, the U.S. is poised to suffer a catastrophic default.
Led by [Coup Plotter co-conspirator] Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), the GQP House Freedom (sic) Caucus [- more accurately described as the GQP House Fascist Caucus -] said Friday in a statement that its 45 members would “consider voting” to raise the debt limit if their colleagues in the House and Senate agree to:
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- Eliminate Biden’s $400 billion student debt cancellation plan;
- Rescind unspent Covid-19 relief funds;
- Nix nearly $400 billion worth of clean energy investments approved in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA);
- Repeal the IRA’s roughly $80 billion funding boost for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS);
- Restore Clinton-era work requirements on welfare recipients;
- Require congressional approval before any major federal regulations can take effect;
- Cap future federal spending at 2022 levels for the next 10 years; and
- Find “every dollar spent by Democrats that can be reclaimed for the American taxpayer.”
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Although Capitol Hill’s deficit hawks are eager to attack the poor and slash popular programs, they don’t support reducing the ever-expanding U.S. military budget or hiking taxes on corporations and the rich to increase revenue. Rescinding the IRS funding boost, meanwhile, would help wealthy households evade taxes and add an estimated $114 billion to the federal deficit.
“These power-hungry lawmakers are so determined to keep the Biden administration from rebuilding the middle class that they’re willing to tank the economy to do it,” Zelnick continued.
With Republicans possessing a five-seat House majority and the ability of any party member to introduce a motion to remove the House speaker—a new rule the Freedom Caucus secured in exchange for electing Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to the role—a few dozen of the GOP’s most right-wing members have significant leverage over the fate of the U.S. and world economy.
Note: It would only take six “moderate” establishment Republicans to break ranks with the Sedition Caucus and their feckless Speaker “Traitor” Kevin McCarthy, and vote with the Democrats to neuter this hostage-taking scheme. If there were any patriotic GQP members in Congress, they would do so now and put an end to this hostage-taking scheme. But these cowards are all terrified of their MAGA Fascist crazy base in a GQP primary and care more about their own reelection chances than they do about the fate of their country and their fellow Americans.
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