Not only did President Joe Biden rebuff House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) attempts to negotiate on raising the debt ceiling for months, but House Democrats continue to make some rather bizarre and concerning remarks on the issue, days before we're supposedly headed for default.
Speaking to CNN's Manu Raju on Tuesday morning, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who chairs the Progressive Caucus, predicted that "there would be a huge backlash," not just from "our entire House, you know, Democratic Caucus, certainly the progressives, but also, in the streets."
Rep. Pramila Jayapal: There will be "a huge backlash...in the streets" if the White House agrees to spending cuts. pic.twitter.com/W0kgsN0EAz
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 23, 2023
Without missing a beat, Jayapal went on to continue to share her thoughts, including how "it's important we don't take steps back from the very strong agenda that the president himself shepherded and led over the last two years." The casual attitude of the congresswoman and the chair of a major caucus made her remarks all the more noteworthy.
Bonchie, in writing for our sister site at RedState, made some very poignant points about her remarks and the hypocrisy involved:
Do tell me, what exactly would a “huge backlash” in the “streets” look like? Would that include rioting “in the streets?” If not, then it wouldn’t be much of a backlash, right? I mean, it is coming up on left-wing riot season, so it wouldn’t surprise me if violence was on the table. Also, how does Jayapal know that such a backlash will occur? Is she connected with various groups that would carry out this backlash?
It doesn’t matter what her intention was, though, because I’ve been assured that such language is “stochastic terrorism” and is equal to a direct call to violence. Remember when Donald Trump suggested there would be protests over his indictment in Manhattan by DA Alvin Bragg, and MSNBC, CNN, and others insisted he was calling for violence? Or when the former president used the phrase “fight like hell,” and was likewise accused of inciting a riot?
Well, the funny thing about standards is that they apply to everyone, including Jayapal. Will the FBI be paying her a visit? Somehow, I doubt it, since she wears the magical armor known as being a member of the Democratic Party. That won’t stop the rest of us from noting the hypocrisy on display.
Jayapal's fellow progressive Democrats, including those also with their own leadership positions, have made some truly stunningly stupid remarks. Also on Tuesday, Democrats held their weekly press conference where they railed against McCarthy and Republicans, despite how they were the only ones so far to actually pass a plan to raise the debt ceiling.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA), who chairs the House Democratic Caucus, lamented the timeline. This comes after the president, the leader of his own party, is the one to blame for that timeline.
2) Aguilar: They had a choice. They could have voted with the American people to protect seniors and veterans and schoolteachers, and instead join hands with Marjorie Taylor Greene and George Santos to impose devastating cuts.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) May 23, 2023
While Aguilar complains about two specific House Republicans, it's also worth reminding that the plan passed by House Republicans contains particularly popular provisions, includes work requirements for benefits--which Biden himself proposed as a senator--and returning unspent COVID-19 relief funds.
It also cannot be stressed enough that what Democrats are complaining about is a plan that returns to spending levels from fiscal year 2022, something Democrats at the time were all too happy to champion.
Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT) tweeted out a particularly helpful graphic highlighting the timeline of Republicans taking action, and the president's inaction.
Reminder: @HouseGOP passed the Limit, Save, Grow Act weeks ago to raise the debt ceiling.
— Rep. Burgess Owens (@RepBurgessOwens) May 23, 2023
We're 9 days away from default because of Biden's inaction. pic.twitter.com/b50k6fddz4
It's not just Aguilar. Last week, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) also complained to CNBC's "Squawk Box" about the timeline. Additionally, when challenged by the co-hosts for his inflammatory language about "MAGA Republicans" and claiming they were involved in "hostage-taking," Jeffries attempted to offer he wasn't referring to his colleagues as "terrorist[s]."
Nevertheless, Democrats continue to go with such language. Not only did Jayapal make the concerning remarks about "backlash" taking place "in the streets" should Democrats not get their way on the debt ceiling, but she also used the term and similar language with reckless abandon while tweeting and retweeting.
Reminder: When House Republicans insist we “spend less,” they mean public housing, food assistance, Medicaid, and addiction support.
— Progressive Caucus (@USProgressives) May 22, 2023
They do *not* mean any of the Pentagon’s $847 trillion in funding — just programs working families rely on.
We cannot give into this extortion. https://t.co/jve5Ok2v6l
This is not about cutting deficit b/c if it were, these MAGA extremists would agree to our proposals to close tax loopholes & force big corps to pay their fair share or Big Pharma to lower drug prices. That reduces deficit without hurting the American people.
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) May 21, 2023
Let’s say it like it is: Republicans are taking our economy hostage in order to cut health care and nutrition assistance for families.
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) May 22, 2023
They can end this debt ceiling crisis – which they created – whenever they want to, without hurting the American people. But they refuse.
Jayapal also recently tweeted out from her campaign account an Axios report from last Friday, highlighting progressives' opposition to negotiations.
Republicans are holding our economy hostage and risking millions of jobs.
— Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) May 23, 2023
We cannot give in to their cruel and unworkable proposals. Period.https://t.co/D0mUQ4wTs5
Join the conversation as a VIP Member