[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 175 (Tuesday, October 5, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6897-S6898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              Debt Ceiling

  Mr. President, now, on the debt ceiling, last night, as you know, I 
filed cloture on legislation sent to us by the House of Representatives 
that provides for a suspension of the debt ceiling until December of 
2022.
  The Senate is going to hold that vote tomorrow, and, once again, 
Members of this body will face a choice: We can bring this Republican-
manufactured debt ceiling crisis to a swift end or Republicans can keep 
barreling our country ever closer to the first default in American 
history.
  By now, it is perfectly clear which political party is working to 
prevent a default on the debt and which party is deliberately and 
almost cynically rooting for one. Republicans have been offered 
multiple opportunities to deescalate this crisis they have created. 
Yet, each time, the Republican leader has chosen to magnify it instead.
  Last week, Democrats offered a commonsense proposal that would have 
addressed the debt ceiling on a bipartisan basis; Republicans voted, 
instead, to default.
  Democrats then offered Republicans what the Republican leader said 
they have wanted by proposing a simple majority vote--exactly what 
happened in the early 2000s--and, again, Republicans blocked it in 
favor of default.
  By now, it is clear that despite what they say, Republicans seem 
intent on seeing the United States miss out on its payment for the 
first time ever. They seem perfectly at ease telling the American 
people, including our Active military, our Social Security recipients, 
and all those who rely on Medicare, that they are unequivocally the 
party of default--the Republicans are unequivocally the party of 
default. And some of them seem to be proud of it.
  It is hard to believe that one of America's two major parties would 
be willing to jeopardize our entire economy and irrevocably damage our 
standing throughout the world just because they don't like that the 
party that won the election is following through on its agenda to help 
American families. But that is what is exactly going on here.
  Now, to be clear--let's be very clear--tomorrow's vote is simply a 
cloture vote. It is not a vote to raise the debt ceiling; it is, 
rather, a procedural step to let Democrats raise the debt ceiling

[[Page S6898]]

on our own, just as Republicans have called for.
  Let me say that again so all my Republican colleagues can hear it, 
and the American people can hear it loud and clear: Tomorrow's vote is 
simply a cloture vote. Tomorrow's vote is not a vote to raise the debt 
ceiling; it is, rather, a procedural step to let Democrats raise the 
debt ceiling on our own.
  We are telling Republicans: We are not asking you to vote for it; 
just let us vote for it. And that is what you called for. That is what 
Leader McConnell has called for on countless occasions from July on.
  As recently as yesterday, the Republican leader pointed to episodes 
in 2004 and 2006, while the majority raised the debt ceiling, while the 
minority voted against it. As happened then, the minority party can 
just get out of the way and let the majority supply the votes.
  Tomorrow's vote, then, is a chance for Republican Senators to show 
that they don't have to link arm-in-arm with those extreme Members of 
their conference running for President. They have a chance to show that 
they are still responsible. It is not too late, but it is getting 
dangerously close.
  As I said yesterday, this Chamber must send President Biden 
legislation to raise the debt ceiling before the end of the week. We do 
not have the luxury of using a drawn-out, convoluted, and risky 
process. We can resolve the debt ceiling crisis this week and reassure 
the world that the full faith and credit of the United States will 
never be in question.
  Democrats are going to do the responsible thing tomorrow and vote yes 
to prevent a default.
  There is still time--still time--for Republicans to get out of the 
way and allow this bill to pass with a simple majority vote. If 
Republicans want to vote no tomorrow, if they really want to be the 
party of default, that is their choice.