Global Courant 2023-05-31 05:29:43
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Tuesday she’s inclined to support the bipartisan debt ceiling proposal coming to the House floor Wednesday, but she wants to get a commitment from GOP leaders first to do several other things in the future. move proposals, including the impeachment of President Biden or a senior cabinet official.
“If you have to eat a shit sandwich, you want sides, okay?” It makes it much better,” Greene told reporters just outside the Capitol office of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). “So what I’m looking for, I’m looking for some sides and some desserts.”
In particular, Greene cited two “sides”: a vote on a balanced budget amendment and another on legislation to prevent the hiring of new IRS agents — not just in 2024, as the bipartisan debt limit law would do — but also in years to come . to follow.
President Biden signed legislation last year that gave the IRS $80 billion over a decade to streamline customer service, update technology and hire auditors to go after those who fail to pay the taxes they owe.
Republicans have attacked the extra funding, falsely arguing that the IRS plans to use it to hire 87,000 new agents to target middle-class workers, particularly Republicans.
“There were audits and conservative groups were targeted,” Greene said. “One of the sides…I’d like this shit sandwich to be a way to completely wipe out the 87,000 IRS agents.”
Then she called her “beautiful dessert.”
“Someone needs to be impeached,” Greene said. She called Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, “the lowest hanging fruit” in the eyes of Republicans for his handling of the migrant crisis on the southern border.
“The border is a serious issue that affects everyone across the country, even the Democratic mayor of New York City, the Democratic mayor of Chicago and just people everywhere,” she said.
Cowardly security at the border has also allowed the flow of illegal drugs from Mexico, Greene continued, which in turn contributed to the deadly fentanyl crisis in the United States.
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“Three hundred Americans die every day,” she said. “Mayorkas, and I also advocate for Biden – President Biden – for that they should both be impeached.”
Greene said the proposals she is seeking would not be attached to the debt ceiling bill, but could come later.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to happen today,” she said. “But it can happen soon, and I’m working on that.”
Greene stressed that she is still undecided on Wednesday’s debt ceiling vote — “I’m still coming to my decision,” she said — but she also suggested that the Republicans fighting to kill the bill should Playing into the hands of Senate Democratic leaders who prefer a “Clean” debt ceiling increase without the GOP’s cuts. She predicted that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) — with help from GOP Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) — would try to tie the proposal to more funding for the war in Ukraine, which she opposes.
“I don’t want to see that happen,” she said. “I don’t want to see our group responsible for more money for Ukraine.”
The comments come as McCarthy and his leadership team race to bolster GOP support for the debt ceiling proposal they struck with the White House on Saturday after hard-fought negotiations that lasted most of the month.
The Treasury Department has warned that without Congressional action, the government will default on June 5 for the first time in the country’s history.
A group of conservatives has objected to the deal, saying it falls nowhere near the level of austerity needed to contain deficits and national debt. Some of those conservatives now feel they will try to overthrow McCarthy from the Speakership because of his way of negotiating.
However, Greene threw cold water at the idea, praising McCarthy for his work ethic and berating his conservative opponents for dividing the party.
“I think maybe part of this conversation is about getting attention, maybe raising money,” she said. “It’s not serious and it would be a terrible decision.”
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