Katherine Clark: “I thank the majority leader, but I have to disagree. I think the majority is well aware that there is a big difference…”

“I thank the majority leader, but I have to disagree. I think the majority is well aware that there is a big difference between our responsibilities around the debt ceiling and spending discussions. What we have seen being brought together, by all the quotes from Republicans, laying out that this is their leverage point, to cut spending for the basics for the American people. Those are your words, not the words of Democrats or President Biden. I would completely disagree with this idea that maintaining our full faith and credit for things that we have already agreed on is a blank check. That is not something that benefits President Biden. That is basic fiscal responsibility. What we have here is a case of hostage-taking, the willingness to risk global economic destruction, to put the full faith and credit of the United States in jeopardy, to be able to reduce investments we have made in the American people. What is it you would like to reduce? There is nothing we hear. When we point out the majority's own words, that it is entitlements we are coming after, now we are saying that is not our goal. But let's look at what happened under our last Republican administration. Donald Trump tacked nearly $8 trillion onto our deficit. If that had not occurred, we would not even be at our debt ceiling right now; that would be coming in several years. And $8 trillion on that deficit is a quarter of everything we owe.…”