[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 169 (Tuesday, September 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6711-S6712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Debt Limit

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, yesterday, Senate Democrats blocked a 
vote on a clean government funding piece of legislation. Senator Shelby 
and I put forward legislation that could pass the Senate easily and 
keep the government open. We were ready to avoid a shutdown, get urgent 
relief to Louisiana, help vetted Afghans who helped America, and 
continue supporting Israel's Iron Dome, which saves innocent lives.
  Senate Republicans were ready, and House Democratic leaders say they 
will act on whatever CR we send them. But Democrats blocked the Senate 
from even considering our legislation. Instead, the Democratic leader 
held a vote that he knew would fail on a bill he knew was a 
nonstarter--game-playing instead of governing.
  So look, Mr. President, for more than 2 months--2 months--Republicans 
have explained that the unified Democratic Party government will not 
get bipartisan support for a debt limit hike while they write a 
partisan taxing-and-spending spree behind closed doors. It is as simple 
as that.
  Bipartisanship isn't a light switch that Democrats can switch on when 
they need to borrow money and flip off when they want to spend money. 
If Democrats want to use fast-track, party-line procedures to ram 
through trillions more in inflationary socialism, they will have to use 
the same tools to handle the debt limit. They have known this for more 
than 2 months. I made it perfectly clear 2 months ago.
  The debt suspension that expired in August covered all the debt that 
had been actually accumulated by that date. Let me say that again. The 
debt suspension that expired in August covered all the debt that had 
been accumulated by that date. This is an argument not about the past 
but about the future, a future that Democrats have willfully decided 
they want to own on a party-line basis.
  There is no constant tradition that says one-party governments get 
bipartisan help with the debt limit. That has been said over and over 
by the press, by the Democrats. Let me make it clear. There is no 
constant tradition that says one-party governments get bipartisan help 
with the debt limit.
  Just between 2003 and 2010, there were five--five--occasions when the 
party in power had to get a debt limit hike through the Senate by 
themselves--five times. Interestingly enough, then-Senators Biden and 
Schumer voted no on raising the debt limit under President Bush 43 and 
made the united Republican government do it by themselves.
  So, look, it is time for our Democratic colleagues to stop dragging 
their heels and get moving. They have had more than 2 months to accept 
it. Secretary Yellen just announced a new estimate that action on the 
debt limit may be necessary as early as October 18. Democrats will need 
to handle the debt limit before then.

[[Page S6712]]

  But Democrats in Congress don't seem to be acting with any urgency. 
The Senate spends day after day on midlevel nominations, and our 
colleagues spend all their time in backroom talks over partisan plans 
while their basic duties sit here in limbo. So far, Democrats' partisan 
ambitions have taken precedence over basic governance. That needs to 
change. According to their own Treasury Secretary, they have a few 
weeks to finally get moving.