Commentary
-
Our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions on complex topics.
One of the most important events in terms of both government and politics to happen recently was the House Republican passage of increasing the debt ceiling, but only doing so with a very large $4.1 trillion cut in spending.
This was important because when they passed it, even though it was only by one vote, it created a fact. Had they lost that vote — had it been one vote down instead of one vote up — then everybody in the news media would have said, well, the House Republicans don’t have any role here. They can’t get their act together, etc.
Now, the only people in Washington who have actually done something on the debt ceiling, are the House Republicans. They’ve passed a bill which would raise the debt ceiling until next year. But in doing it, they’ve insisted on very significant conservative reforms and legislation. And they’ve insisted on cutting $4.1 trillion out of the spending pattern for the next decade. That was an enormous achievement, the biggest cut ever passed on a debt ceiling bill.
It’s interesting to watch, because now, the Democrats have two problems. The first is that well, Democratic Majority Leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said the bill was dead on arrival. The fact is, Schumer probably can’t get anything out of the Senate, because the Senate Republicans are not going to vote for an unreformed debt ceiling.
And Schumer is committed to standing with President Biden and not fixing the debt ceiling with spending cuts. So the result is going to be that the only game in town is going to be the House Republican debt ceiling bill which speaker McCarthy did an amazing job, inch by inch piecing together exactly what has to be done, including two significant changes the night before the vote, to make sure that the last votes were there.
You know, when you only have a four or five vote margin, you really have to work hard to try to get everybody on board. The fact is, Speaker Boehner couldn’t do it, Speaker Ryan couldn’t do it. And it’s a significant achievement by Speaker McCarthy to have gotten this done.
Now, the question is what does President Biden do? Their first reaction was to say we’re not going to negotiate. Well, they have a problem. Among the American people, according to Scott Rasmussen, only 24%, — one out of every four — want to have a debt ceiling increase, with no changes. About 46% of American people are willing to have a debt ceiling increase if there are cuts in spending. But an additional 16% don’t want a debt ceiling increase at all, period, under any circumstance.
So in fact, while almost three to one, the American people are opposed to President Biden’s position — that the only thing he’ll do is sign a debt ceiling that has no changes. It’s going to sink in over the next 30 to 60 days. it’ll get to be a crisis. The business community will go nuts, the news media will go crazy. President Biden will use really harsh, really strong language. But in the end, the objective fact that was created is that Speaker McCarthy and the House Republicans have the only game in town.
The only currently legislated alternative to the U.S. government defaulting on its debt is, in fact, the McCarthy bill. And I think that’s going to be the beginning of the negotiation, not the Biden position. So what you’re watching is history in the making. It could be the first real turnaround step towards getting back to the balanced budget and back to a system where we limit inflation, we limit taxes, we limit deficits and have a much healthier economy. But this was a very big week.
-
Biden’s foreign policy riddled with errors and misfortune
President Biden entered office with a promise to repair the damage inflicted by former President Trump on the international stage. He vowed to prioritize values like democracy and human rights while also aiming to end the “forever wars” in Afghanistan and the Middle East. Yet, some critics argue that U.S. foreign policy has been marked…
-
Illegal immigrants want to invade and occupy your home
Illegal immigrant Leonal Moreno recently posted an instructional video on TikTok guiding fellow immigrants on how to leverage U.S. squatting laws to safely occupy abandoned homes. Moreno said that his goal is to avoid having to become a “public burden” to U.S. taxpayers by finding his own shelter in abandoned places. Some viewers, however, perceive…
-
Americans should not have to pay to rebuild Key Bridge
The collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore represents a major setback for the Port of Baltimore and the entire East Coast highway network. Although the debris removal may be completed within a few weeks, the reconstruction process will be both time-consuming and expensive. Some estimates suggest the cost could exceed $1 billion. So who…
-
White rhino IVF pregnancy breakthrough could save species
In February 2024, a controversial ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court prompted some health care providers in the state to halt their in vitro fertilization (IVF) programs, sparking division among Republicans. The Republican-led Alabama Legislature quickly worked to address the issue and protect IVF, resulting in the Republican governor signing a bill into law protecting…
-
Biden should approve Israeli invasion of Rafah
Recent debates on the Israel-Hamas war have focused on a looming invasion of Rafah at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, where many Palestinian survivors have fled following the total destruction of northern Gaza. Advocates of the Rafah invasion contend that Hamas cannot be eliminated without an invasion and occupation of Rafah. Opponents warn…
Latest Stories
-
Conservative media isn’t covering Kari Lake Supreme Court dismissal
-
Supreme Court says it will hear case on Biden’s ‘ghost gun’ ban
-
Russia's nuclear-capable missiles raise concerns for NATO
-
Wind power set records in 2023, but offshore projects lagged behind
-
Chinese doping scandal hits 3 months before Paris Games; US claims cover-up
Popular Opinions
-
In addition to the facts, we believe it’s vital to hear perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum.
Latest Opinions
In addition to the facts, we believe it’s vital to hear perspectives from all sides of the political spectrum. We hope these different voices will help you reach your own conclusions.
The opinions published in this section are solely those of the contributors and do not reflect the views of Straight Arrow News.
Latest Commentary
We know it is important to hear from a diverse range of observers on the complex topics we face and believe our commentary partners will help you reach your own conclusions.
The commentaries published in this section are solely those of the contributors and do not reflect the views of Straight Arrow News.
Peter Zeihan
Geopolitical StrategistWater wars are an unlikely future
Are Russia’s hypersonic missiles too good to be true?
Norway sending F-16s to Ukraine
Dr. Frank Luntz
Pollster and Political Analyst‘Take the job seriously’: Why Americans are fed up with Congress
‘If we can shrink it, it will stop growing’: Americans talk debt, deficit
‘I don’t think they care’: Undecided voters explain their reasons
Pete Ricketts
U.S. Senator for Nebraska