Sen. McConnell to Use Debt Ceiling as Leverage in ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Talks
Published at
Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call(WASHINGTON) — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is accusing President Obama of wanting to “spend to his heart’s content.”
That’s why the Kentucky Republican said on Thursday that he and other GOP lawmakers are planning to use the debt ceiling as leverage in their ongoing debate with the White House over how to best avert the looming fiscal cliff.
While Obama said previous fights over the debt ceiling almost pushed the country to the brink of financial collapse during the summer of 2011, McConnell maintained, “The American people want Washington to get spending under control, and the debt limit is the best tool we have to make the president take that demand seriously.”
McConnell also dismissed an analogy made by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that Republicans are in the same confused state as the New York Jets over who to appoint as starting quarterback.
Firing back, McConnell said, “The quarterback on the Democratic side is the president of the United States. And unfortunately, he keeps throwing interceptions.”
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio