Speaker Pelosi Just Outsmarted Mitch McConnell By Using His Own Debt Ceiling Proposal Against Him

At her weekly press conference, Speaker Pelosi announced that House Democrats are using Mitch McConnell’s debt ceiling proposal as a potential permanent fix.

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Speaker Pelosi said:

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 In terms of the debt ceiling, we are just hoping that we can do this in a bipartisan way. Are all kinds of suggestions that members have. One that really was endorsed a while back by Mitch McConnell. But who knows, you know, who knows? But it was — the manifestation of it now, Mr. Yarmouth and Mr. Boyle have put forth, puts the responsibility on the Secretary of the Treasury to make the determination to lift the debt ceiling

. That decision could be overruled by the congress. It would take 60 votes under the present custom. But nonetheless, congress would have to overrule that. That seems to have some appeal to both sides of the aisle because of the consequences to people of not lifting it. But many Democrats and Republicans have voted against lifting the debt ceiling, but never to the extent of jeopardizing it. This is the first time. 

Speaker Pelosi Has Turned The Tables On Mitch McConnell

Speaker Pelosi is going to use Mitch McConnell’s own ideas against him and expose his hypocrisy by making him vote against his own proposals.

The idea behind the McConnell idea is a good one. The debt ceiling is too vital to the US economy. It should not be a political football in the hands of congress.

The debt ceiling is an artificial construct. It is not in the constitution. Congress can choose to handle US debt any way that it pleases as long as it does not put the full faith and credit of the United States in jeopardy.

Over and over again, Democrats have outsmarted McConnell on the debt ceiling, and the best move of all will be to free the debt ceiling hostage forever by using Minority Leader McConnell’s own idea against him.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association