[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 1, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S179-S180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              DEBT CEILING

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, House Republicans are struggling--
struggling--to grasp a harsh reality about being in the majority. There 
is no good substitute for having a plan. You can't solve the Nation's 
biggest problems without a plan--a plan we can debate in Congress and 
which the American people can judge for themselves. This is especially 
true--especially true--when it comes to the debt ceiling.
  Later this afternoon, President Biden will meet with Speaker McCarthy 
for their first one-on-one meeting of the year, and everyone is asking 
the same question of Speaker McCarthy: What is your plan? Where is your 
plan, Republicans? Where is your plan, Speaker McCarthy?
  For days, Speaker McCarthy has heralded this sit-down as some kind of 
major win in his debt ceiling talks, but Speaker McCarthy is forgetting 
something obvious to everyone else: If you don't have a plan, you can't 
seriously pretend you are having any real negotiation.
  Let me say that again because it is so crystal clear.
  Speaker McCarthy, if you don't have a plan, you can't seriously 
pretend you are having any real negotiation.
  Speaker McCarthy showing up at the White House without a plan is like 
sitting down at the table without cards in your hand.
  And look, we know why the Speaker has struggled and is unable to 
produce a plan or why he is delaying it or avoiding it. He doesn't have 
the votes for one, in all likelihood. Some Senate Republicans want 
Social Security and Medicare cuts. Others want to cut the healthcare 
that Americans depend on

[[Page S180]]

through Medicaid. And at least one Republican said on raising the debt 
ceiling: I am a ``no'' no matter what.
  Speaker McCarthy knows that it is next to impossible to pass a plan 
through his own House--that he can't do that. So Speaker McCarthy may 
claim he wants to negotiate, but that is, ultimately, empty talk if the 
hard right has the power to reject whatever the Speaker proposes. It is 
a toxic dynamic that, sadly, isn't going away any time soon.

  When President Trump was in office, I sat down with him to talk about 
the importance of raising the debt ceiling, and we didn't engage in 
threats or brinksmanship or hostage-taking. Instead, we Democrats 
presented a plan and moved forward from there. It was not easy. It took 
a lot of preparation and tough decision making, but, each time, we got 
the job done.
  So one more time, House Republicans, show us your plan. You have an 
obligation to be transparent with the American people. If you don't 
have the votes to pass a plan, let's just get the debt ceiling done. If 
the plan involves drastic cuts to millions of Americans, then 
Republicans have an obligation to show the American people what those 
cuts are because Americans could be faced with the very painful, 
painful results of those proposed cuts.
  Republicans owe it--owe it--to the American people. Speaker McCarthy 
owes it to the American people to stop dodging, to put pen to paper, 
and to explain clearly how Congress is going to ensure the United 
States does not default for the first time in history. We Democrats 
have a plan: Raise the debt ceiling without brinksmanship or hostage-
taking, as it has been done before. Speaker McCarthy doesn't have a 
plan, so he is not really negotiating, and the clock is ticking.

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