Rep. Grayson: Republicans using debt ceiling as ‘legislative terrorism’
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) blasted Republicans on Thursday night for planning to use the federal debt ceiling as leverage in the ongoing battle over government spending.
He said Republicans saw the debt ceiling as “a device to extract concessions they would otherwise never be able to accomplish.”
“That is why it is legislative terrorism,” Grayson continued. “They are using the debt ceiling as a means to cut Social Security benefits, cut Medicare benefits, cut unemployment insurance, cut anything of any use to any ordinary human being in this country simply because they want more money for tax cuts for the rich.”
Republicans previously refused to raise the federal debt ceiling in 2011 unless Democrats agreed to significant budget cuts. The battle over the debt ceiling resulted in the United States having its credit rating downgraded and ultimately lead to the so-called fiscal cliff crisis.
Watch video, courtesy of MSNBC, below:
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Brand new on Raw Story
- Jon Stewart exposes ridiculous fawning over Apple at Senate hearing
- The impact of the electric car: infographic
- House passes bill to speed construction of Keystone XL Pipeline
- Kim Dotcom might sue Twitter, Google and Facebook over copyright infringement
- Obama to begin process of closing Guantanamo Bay: report
- British ‘Tea Party’ UKIP surges, putting pressure on Tories and Cameron
- Allosaurus dinosaur chomped like a bird of prey, say scientists
- Pope Francis calls on Christians to accept the good works atheists perform
- Most houses and public buildings in ‘Tornado Alley’ lack storm shelters
- Polish doctors carry out world’s first life-saving face transplant
Commentary
Tone policing only goes one way
By Amanda Marcotte
The Orange Couch does Mad Men: S7E8, “The Crash”
By Amanda Marcotte
An open letter to the Center for Inquiry
By Amanda Marcotte
Raw Exclusives
Featured Video
Follow Us!
