Rep. Buck: ‘People Are Furious’ Over McCarthy’s Debt Ceiling Deal

During a Tuesday appearance on CNN’s “The Lead,” Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) blasted Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for giving in to President Joe Biden in their debt ceiling negotiations.

Republicans have been telling McCarthy for weeks to stand strong in negotiations with Biden. The president and his allies repeatedly refused to negotiate at all on the matter, stating that they would only accept an increase in the debt ceiling without concessions. After the GOP successfully passed the “Limit, Save, Grow Act” — which would have raised the debt ceiling through early 2024 while at the same time saving the federal government around $4.8 trillion over the next ten years — Biden finally came to the negotiating table.

Instead of forcing Biden to make real concessions to avoid becoming the first president in history to default on the debt, it appears that McCarthy was only able to get Biden to agree to superficial victories for Republicans — essentially giving Democrats almost everything they wanted.

On Fox News Sunday, McCarthy claimed that “there is not one thing in the bill for Democrats.”

However, Republicans have pushed back on that claim, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) tweeting: “He’s right. There’s not ‘one thing’ for Dems. There are $4 trillion things—a blank check—for Democrats. Plus 87,000 things: new IRS agents to harass Americans. All in exchange for eliminating virtually ALL of the House’s spending cuts.”

Speaking with CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Tuesday, Buck stated that McCarthy’s compromise has made voters “furious.”

“Are you still a no on this bill?” Tapper asked.

“I am a very strong no. Yes,” the Colorado Republican said.

“So many Americans over the holiday weekend were probably relieved to learn that there had been a deal struck in order to avoid a very real economic catastrophe,” the CNN host claimed. “If Republicans refuse to vote for this and the U.S. ultimately defaults because McCarthy is not able to deliver the votes. How would you explain that to the American people?”

Buck responded by noting that the bill will pass because some House Republicans will likely vote for it — many of whom are already being called out by their conservative voter bade as “RINOs” — and Democrats will also vote in favor of the bill.

“Well, first of all, Jake, this bill will pass,” he explained. “Some Republicans will vote for it. Some Democrats will vote for it. It will go to the Senate. It will pass in the Senate. It will be signed by the president. The United States will not default. The devil is in the details in this bill. Republicans are saying that, you know, there’s a few billion here and a few billion there that that we are saving. Only only people in Washington, D.C. believe that you can save a few billion dollars and spend and go into debt $4 trillion more. When the American people understand that our debt is going to rise to $35 trillion by the end of 2024. They will be aghast that anybody could support this bill.”

Tapper went on to question Buck about comments from Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), who threatened to take away McCarthy’s speakership if he allows the bill to be passed in the House.

“So, Congressman Chip Roy, your colleague, Republican from Texas, he today made the strongest threat yet to Speaker McCarthy’s gavel,” the CNN host said. “He told conservative commentator Glenn Beck that if this bill cannot be killed in Rules Committee or on the floor of the House, quote, ‘Then we’re going to have to then regroup and figure out the whole leadership arrangement again,’ unquote. Are you on that page as well? Would you support an effort to oust Speaker McCarthy?”

“I have not made any commitment,” Buck replied. “I think it’s premature to start talking about the motion to vacate, but it is certainly something when you get a large percentage of Republicans that will not vote for this bill. And at the same time, you have the speaker talking about how it is historic and it’s a huge win for conservatives. And we were we are stopping the out-of-control spending in Washington, D.C. I was at Memorial Day events and when the word about $4 trillion leaked out, people are furious. This is a bill that I think is going to be on the level of Obamacare. When you talk about the amount of anger that the American public is going to feel.”