Dems Dig-In by Moving Debt Limit Goalposts

Hoyer Now Says “Almost Every Member of Our Party” Will Vote for a New Credit Card With No Strings Attached

• Democrat Whip Steny Hoyer this morning claimed that “almost every member of our party if not every member of our party” would support a “clean” debt limit increase or, in other words, a new credit card for government spending with no strings attached.
• House Democrats are now moving the goalposts and digging in their heels for more government spending. This must be frustrating for President Obama who called what his fellow Democrats in the House are now pushing for “the least attractive option.”
• Meanwhile, the nation’s deficits are on pace to surpass $1 trillion for the third consecutive year. Why are House Democrats pushing for more spending and more debt?

BACKGROUND:

Democrat Whip Steny Hoyer this morning claimed that “almost every member of our party if not every member of our party” would support a “clean” debt limit increase or, in other words, a new credit card for government spending with no strings attached:  

“I have told Mr. Boehner that our party stands ready to ensure we do not default on our debts. And I believe that almost every member of our party if not every member of our party would vote on a clean extension to make that happen.” (Remarks from Steny Hoyer during Press Conference, MSNBC, 7/15/2011)

House Democrats are now moving the goalposts and digging in their heels for more government spending. This must be frustrating for President Obama who called what his fellow Democrats in the House are now pushing for “the least attractive option”:

“Let’s at least get a down payment on deficit reduction. … I think the least attractive option is one in which we raise the debt ceiling but we don’t make any progress on deficit and debt. Because if we take that approach this issue is going to continue to plague us for months and years to come.”(Remarks from President Obama during Press Conference, MSNBC, 7/15/2011)

Meanwhile, the nation’s deficits are on pace to surpass $1 trillion for the third consecutive year. Why are House Democrats pushing for more spending and more debt?: 

FEDERAL BUDGET DEFICITS TO SURPASS  $1 TRILLION FOR THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR: “The federal budget deficit is on pace to eclipse $1 trillion for a third straight year as congressional and White House negotiators try to hammer out a deal on the nation’s budget.” (Vicki Needham, “Federal Budget Deficit Nearing $1 Trillion,” The Hill, 7/13/2011)

DEMOCRATS INCREASED DEBT BY $3.6 TRILLION IN TWO YEARS: “In January 2009, the national debt stood at $10.6 trillion. Fueled by the so-called stimulus, this debt grew by $3.6 trillion in just two years. The magnitude of this amount is difficult to grasp without a comparison. Under Mr. Obama, government has been borrowing $4.6 billion each and every day. That’s more than it cost to construct the world’s tallest building, Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. In other words, the amount of future productivity being sapped from the American economy would be sufficient to construct a new 160-story skyscraper every day of the year.” (Editorial, “Obama Spending Hits New Records,” The Washington Times, 3/8/2011)