New York Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler called for Congress to abolish the debt ceiling, comparing congressional Republicans to “suicide” bombers for supporting spending cuts which exceed any increase in the debt limit.
“Paul Krugman used the example on TV the other day — said it’s like somebody wearing a suicide bomb vest walking into a crowded place saying, ‘I’ll blow up the place if you don’t give me what I want.’ That’s exactly what it is,” said Nadler, the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution on Wednesday at the Capitol.
“I use the analogy in speeches saying that it’s like a 1930s movie: ‘Nice economy you’ve got over there, pity if it should have to blow up if you don’t pay me off.’ and that’s what’s going on here.”
Virginia Democratic Rep. Jim Moran told The Daily Caller the debt limit is “archaic” and should be repealed.
“We’ve never had as many what I would consider to be radicals in the Congress willing to shut down the government over an issue that really has nothing to do with taxes and spending,” Moran said on Wednesday.
“It’s an archaic quark, and yet they’re willing to put into jeopardy the full faith and credit of the United States in order to prove an ideological point. And so when it gets to that point, we ought to just take this archaic quark off the table and act more responsibly.” (RELATED: Boehner: Obama wants the same “unlimited” power he opposed for Bush)
Nadler argues that the debt ceiling has no effect on the deficit.
“The debt ceiling is arbitrary, doesn’t affect the deficit, and serves no real function in keeping spending down – and it’s time to abolish it,” he said in a press release.
“Only then will we be certain to pay our bills on time and take away from extremists this tool for political blackmail.”