Bernie Sanders Blasts Boehner, ‘He Is Trying to Hoodwink The American People.’

Last updated on September 25th, 2023 at 01:37 pm

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Sen. Bernie Sanders blasted John Boehner’s debt ceiling proposal, and warned that, ‘He is trying to hoodwink the American people.’

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When asked about Boehner’s proposal by Ed Schultz, Sen. Sanders said,

Well, I think you are absolutely right. He is attempting to hoodwink the American people with a short-term solution which is totally unsatisfactory. the position of the Democrats has got to be, end the government shutdown. Mr. Boehner, have a vote, and if you have a vote, the government will reopen. The other point that you made, which is very, very important, Ed, is to understand that Obamacare is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what these guys really want. It’s not just repealing Obamacare. they have an agenda put together by the Koch brothers who are worth some $70 billion, and other billionaires, and this is what their agenda is. Their agenda is over a period of time end Social Security. privatize Social Security. voucherize Medicare. Give seniors an $8,000 check, and when they have cancer, that will last for at least two days. Make savage cuts in Medicaid. Ed, what part of their agenda is not is simply raising the minimum wage. They want to eliminate the minimum wage. Get government out of that area. No floor on wages that are paid in this country. People will work for 3 bucks an hour. Eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency. The Department of Energy, the Department of Education. People think I am kidding. I am not. that is the agenda, and there are and hundreds of millions of dollars behind that agenda.

Boehner is trying to pull a fast one on the American people. House Republicans actually think that a six week extension of the debt ceiling will give them enough time to swing public opinion against the president. If Speaker Boehner thought that Democrats would just roll over the first time he sounded even a tad bit reasonable, he’s got another thing coming.

Sen. Sanders also gave Harry Reid credit for his toughness throughout the latest round of Republican crisis created demands. Bernie Sanders was right. The discussion should begin with Boehner holding a vote to reopen the government, and a longer debt ceiling extension than six weeks. Boehner and the House Republicans are trying to run a big con. Paul Ryan is already rumbling that he wants entitlement cuts, so Republicans haven’t deviated from their agenda. If Boehner wants off the hook for the crisis that they created, they are going to have to give up a lot, a whole lot, if they want Democrats to get to yes.

John Boehner’s trying to keep his shutdown hostage, while getting off the road to default. Democrats must not let that happen.



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