Debt Ceiling Crisis

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. RASKIN. Madam Speaker, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that the validity of the public debt shall not be questioned.

We made a commitment to every Social Security recipient in America, to Medicare and Medicaid recipients, to the veterans, to the bondholders of the United States, that we would pay our debts, as we are fiscally, morally, politically, and constitutionally required to do.

Yet, Donald Trump has issued the order. He said it is inevitable, default on the debt of the United States for the first time in American history, crash the economy, lose 9 or 10 million jobs.

Now, in the words of Florida Representative Matt Gaetz, who appears not to be here right now: The GOP will not negotiate with their hostage.

Who is the hostage?

The American people are the hostage. Our government is hostage. The Constitution is hostage.

I introduce to the MAGA Republicans who have split today, but who increased the debt ceiling three times under Donald Trump, who gave us a quarter of all the debt of the United States between George Washington and Joe Biden, I introduce them to the Constitution of the United States: The validity of the public debt shall not be questioned.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source