Democrat House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries made claims suggesting that “MAGA Republicans” are deliberately trying to crash the United States economy through debt ceiling negotiations.
According to Jeffries, these Republicans have ulterior political motives and hope trigger a recession that would serve the party’s interests for the 2024 elections.
Jeffries labeled these actions as unpatriotic, and un-American. He praised President Biden’s so-called leadership on the economy.
“Right now we’re focused on making sure that we avoid a catastrophic default, that we don’t allow the extreme MAGA Republicans to crash the economy and trigger a job killing recession, which to this day, many of them clearly want to do because they believe that it is in their political interests in 2024,” the New York Democrat said on Tuesday.
“That is incredibly irresponsible, is unpatriotic, and it’s un-American and I’m thankful for President Biden’s leadership and making sure that he protects the U.S. economy.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries says Republicans have to get a majority of their members to vote for the debt ceiling agreement:
“We also are committed to making sure … House Republicans keep their promise to produce at least 150 votes, period, full stop.” pic.twitter.com/5s5mwkM7kH
— The Recount (@therecount) May 30, 2023
When asked for specifics on which Republicans he was referring to, Jeffries’s office did not respond immediately.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is working to garner Republican support for a deal with President Biden.Conservatives within the House Freedom Caucus, such as Rep. Chip Roy, have voiced strong opposition, claiming that the agreement lacks meaningful spending cuts and violates the terms agreed upon to secure McCarthy’s speakership.
"Do you have regrets that your party did not raise the debt ceiling when it [controlled both chambers of Congress]?"
Hakeem Jeffries: "Um…" pic.twitter.com/kDIZPKq4aH
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 24, 2023
McCarthy, acknowledging that the deal is not perfect, defended its merits, highlighting that it would result in the largest rescission and cut in Congress’s history.
The agreement aims to keep non-defense spending relatively low for the 2024 fiscal year, followed by a 1% increase the year after. It includes a two-year debt-limit increase and the rescission of approximately $30 billion in unspent coronavirus relief funds.
