House Republican leaders, including Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, highlighted the importance of the debt ceiling legislation in giving Republicans leverage against President Joe Biden’s agenda and woke policies. In an interview with Breitbart News, they explained that the legislation, known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act, would not only cut the deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next decade but also contain a crucial provision that would automatically pass a continuing resolution with a one percent federal government cut if the appropriations bills are not passed.
Stefanik emphasized that the appropriations process presents an opportunity for Republicans to target waste, fraud, and abuse within the federal government. She pointed out that through appropriations, they can address issues like the politicization of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI, the potential criminalization of law-abiding gun owners by the ATF, and the imposition of ESG programs that jeopardize seniors’ retirements. Stefanik, serving on the Intel Committee and the Select Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, believes that appropriations offer an effective means of safeguarding Americans’ constitutional rights.
Greene initially had reservations about supporting the Fiscal Responsibility Act but recognized the unique leverage provided by the appropriations process. As a member of the Weaponization Select Committee and the Coronavirus Select Committee, she highlighted the ability to defund the FBI’s proposed new headquarters, target Anthony Fauci’s retirement plan, and prevent funding for unnecessary coronavirus vaccines.
Jordan emphasized that this debt ceiling increase is different because it focuses on reducing year-over-year spending. He argued that the appropriations incentive would prevent Senate Democrats and the White House from passing omnibus spending bills packed with earmarks and pork-barrel projects, as seen in the previous $1.7 trillion bill. Jordan praised House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the GOP Conference for incorporating the appropriations provision, noting their commitment to achieving policy changes through the appropriations process.
Overall, these Republican leaders believe that the debt ceiling legislation, with its appropriations leverage, offers an opportunity to rein in government overreach, defund problematic agencies, protect constitutional rights, and prevent excessive spending. They view it as a strategic tool to combat Biden’s agenda and ensure responsible fiscal policies.
