Watch: Marjorie Taylor Greene rejects supporting 'a clean bill' to raise the debt ceiling

19 January 2023

United States Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Wednesday evening's edition of his show that she will not vote for a stand-alone bill to raise the debt ceiling. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned last week that the federal government could hit its borrowing limit as soon as today.

“Failure to meet the government’s obligations would cause irreparable harm to the U.S. economy, the livelihoods of all Americans, and global financial stability,” she said.

If Congress refuses to increase it, the US risks not being able to pay all of its bills. Most economists agree that a default would send seismic shockwaves through the world's economy and potentially trigger a recession. In 2011, Standard & Poor's downgraded the US's AAA sterling credit rating to AA+ on the mere fears of such a scenario taking place. And it was predominantly due to Tea Party Republicans in the House of Representatives refusing to negotiate with Democrats and then-President Barack Obama. Now, GOP hardliners are once again poised to drag the country to the brink of disaster.

Hannity probed Greene on how far she and her colleagues are willing to go:

Let me ask you. I know the Democrats desperately want to distract from the issue of the president and the classified top-secret documents now in four locations. I get that. So they're trying to gin up the American people on the issue of the debt ceiling. My understanding is that really won't be an issue for a number of months. But when it is an issue, what will Republicans do? Will they be united? What are the things that they will demand in exchange for going along with the debt ceiling because the hyperbole, I'm sure, will be out of control – the full faith of the United States government is on the line and credit of the government is on the line. You're going to shut down the government and meanwhile people will still get their Social Security checks, their Medicare, the military will be up and running and most people get a furlough and they get paid when they get back to work. So all that hyperbole is coming but what will the Republicans want and will they stay together?

Greene blamed Democrats and then confirmed that the games will begin anew:

Well I think this is an important issue to talk about, Sean. Thank you for bringing it up. But we also want to point out that Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, Joe Biden, Mitch McConnell, all of who have served – if you add up the years they've been in Congress or in power in Washington, we're looking at 150 years of four people's combined time in Washington – so they know what they're doing when they kick the can down the road, giving the debt ceiling issue to the Republican majority which we started here in January.

It's an important issue for our conference to come together on because, as you said, the government will keep on running. Yes, people's Social Security checks will keep coming, military will keep getting paid, important things will keep happening and keep getting paid. But we have to do a good job as a Republican conference. It's a serious issue and the spending in Washington that's happened for decades now with both parties is the reason why we're in this terrible place. And Republicans are committed to work on the budget. We want to get it under control. We want it to be balanced and we want to reduce the national debt. But the debt ceiling is going to be a point of contention in our conference, but it's going to have to be one that we come together on. We aren't going to send something to the Senate to make it to Joe Biden's desk to be signed and we want to make sure there are things in there that we have to have. I, for one, will not sign a clean bill raising the debt limit.

Hannity offered some advice:

Well, I keep reminding Republicans, with the small majority they have, you will succeed or fail together. You have a couple of months leading up to this. My advice, which nobody ever listens to, is I would resolve these issues and come to an agreement before that debate begins and stand as a united team. That would be great.

Watch below via Media Matters for America or at this link.

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