(PartiallyPolitics.com) Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) accused Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) of being hypocritical over his refusal to consider negotiating over the increase of the debt limit when the Democratic leader had previously used it as “leverage” in his negotiations with former President Trump. At the time the debt ceiling had been used to negotiate increases in spending.
McConnell on the Senate Floor said that it was completely normal to have the debt limit increase be part of negotiations regarding spending and the “Democrats’ runaway printing.” This was a clear reference to the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act, which had passed without the support of a single Republican during the last Congress.
McConnell added that Schumer and other Republicans are trying to pretend as if it is unusual to have negotiations go hand in hand with a potential debt limit increase when in 2017 Schumer and then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had called the debt ceiling “leverage” in the hands of the Democrats.
According to an article by The New York Times in 2017, the two Democratic leaders had been preparing a plan to add pressure that would allow them to have more control during the upcoming negotiations at the time.
McConnell also quoted Schumer who at the time had said that the debt ceiling “gives another ample opportunity for bipartisanship.”
These remarks were made only a few hours before Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and President Biden met at the White House to discuss the debt limit.
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