John Yarmuth: “I thank the chairman of the Rules Committee for both yielding and for his kind remarks. Mr. Speaker, this is what our…”

“I thank the chairman of the Rules Committee for both yielding and for his kind remarks. Mr. Speaker, this is what our Republican colleagues won't tell the American people: The debt ceiling does not control spending. It is raised, as has been said multiple times now, to cover the debt we have already incurred. In this case, a lot of that debt is from the 2017 Trump tax scam. Our Republican colleagues will tell you they voted to cover that debt. But here is the deal: That massive giveaway to wealthy corporations and individuals has a price tag of nearly $2 trillion. This year, it added $271 billion to the debt. Republicans are refusing to pay that bill. Next year, it will add another $243 billion to the debt. Are Republicans going to pay that bill? How about in fiscal 2024 or fiscal 2025 or fiscal 2026? They refuse to vote to pay those bills. This whole debate about the debt ceiling has become a dangerous lie, a very dangerous lie. The truth is, the debt ceiling needs to be repealed or at least it needs to be reformed so we can put an end to this political brinkmanship that will continue to threaten our economy and the livelihoods of American families for years. It is time to end this charade.”