Vol. 27, No. 11
Hitting the Ceiling or Going Through the Roof?
As Congress debates whether or not to again raise the debt ceiling for the U.S. government, principled stands and honest debate are lost in partisan gamesmanship. ...
“The fact that we are here today to debate raising America’s debt limit,” said the Senator, “is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. government can’t pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government’s reckless fiscal policies.... Increasing America’s debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that ‘the buck stops here.’ Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better. I therefore intend to oppose the effort to increase America’s debt limit.”
Who is this mystery Senator railing against raising the federal debt ceiling? Kentucky’s Rand Paul, perhaps? South Carolina’s Jim DeMint? Oklahoma’s Tom Coburn?
No, the mystery Senator is none other than Illinois’ Barack Obama, who spoke those very words in March 2006 as Congress was considering — at the behest of the George W. Bush administration — increasing the amount of debt the U.S. Treasury could issue to almost $9 trillion.
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The full article includes detailed analysis of Massie's legislative strategy, exclusive quotes from the interview, and insider information about upcoming votes.
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