WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2023) Conservative Republicans in Congress intend to use their opposition to raising the US government debt limit as leverage to force structural reforms to rein in out-of-control Federal spending, Senator Ted Cruz told said during a press conference on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
"We will use the debt ceiling as leverage to force real reforms to fix the underlying problem," Cruz said. "Republicans do not refuse to raise the debt ceiling. ... (However) It is incumbent on the Republican majority in the Senate to use every lever we have to stop the out of control spending."
Senator Rand Paul said he thought compromise was possible, but both Republicans and Democrats would have to accept major budget cuts on programs where previously they had refused to allow almost any restrictions in spending at all.
"The Republicans would have to give up the sacred cow that no one can ever cut a single Dollar from defense spending and the Democrats would have to give up the sacred cow that no one can ever cut a single dollar from Medicare and Social Security," he said.
Senator Ron Johnson said President Joe Biden was guilty of "a total lie" in claiming that Republicans wanted to cut or destroy Social Security and Medicare. Johnson said the fiscal cutbacks to ensure continued financial stability were essential to preserve both programs.
