Following Schumer’s ’Hysterics’, McConnell Pledges No Help With Next Debt Limit Hike in December
01:50 GMT 09.10.2021 (Updated: 13:59 GMT 19.12.2022)
© REUTERS / JOSHUA ROBERTS
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer previously accused Republicans of having “played a dangerous and risky partisan game“ after the GOP had twice blocked previous votes on raising the debt ceiling.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnel has warned the Biden administration that the GOP will not increase the debt ceiling when the deadline comes on December 3, citing ”grave concerns” about another potential spending bill hurting Americans and "helping" China.
In a letter to President Joe Biden, McConnell lambasted Schumer for his Thursday speech, calling it “so partisan, angry, and corrosive that even Democratic Senators were visibly embarrassed by him and for him.” He accused the Democrat of ”angry incompetence,” as he failed to do “one of his most basic governing duties.“
“This childish behavior only further alienated the Republican members who helped facilitate this short-term patch,” McConnell wrote. “I will not provide such assistance again if your all-Democrat government drifts into another avoidable crisis.“
The full text of the letter is attached below.
My letter to President Biden on the debt limit: pic.twitter.com/H1tDXHl07a
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) October 8, 2021
The US Senate voted along party lines on Thursday to temporarily raise the debt ceiling by $480 billion, which will allow the government to pay its bills until December 3. The move came as the Treasury warned it could run out of money by October 18.
11 Senate Republicans helped break the filibuster by voting in favor of the temporary hike to avert a potential default.
“I am glad that their brinksmanship did not work,” Schumer commented on the vote, adding that “despite immense opposition from Leader McConnell and members of his conference, our [Democratic] caucus held together, and we have pulled our country back from the cliff’s edge that Republicans tried to push us over.”
Though Schumer's "enthusiastic" speech could not affect what had already happened, it was apparently too much for Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who could be seen holding his head in his hands as Schumer spoke before walking out of the Senate chamber in disgust.
Joe Manchin during Schumer speech pic.twitter.com/cESDLak0OM
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) October 8, 2021
Manchin later criticized Schumer for what McConnell called a "rant" on the Senate floor.
“I didn’t think it was appropriate at this time,” the senator told reporters. “We have to de-weaponize. You can’t be playing politics. None of us can — on both sides. Civility is gone.”
GOP lawmakers have twice blocked efforts to raise the debt ceiling.
If McConnell is serious about what he said in the letter, Democrats will be left with two options in December: either agree to a reconciliation process or gut the filibuster.
