Mitch McConnell vows not to aid Democrats in raising the debt ceiling again

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell wrote in a
letter to President Joe Biden that he would not support Democrats in raising
the debt ceiling again. Mitch McConnell posted a copy of the letter on his Twitter
handle on Friday.

Also Read: Republicans, Democrats agree on extending debt ceiling: Chuck Schumer

“Last night, Republicans filled the leadership
vacuum that has troubled the Senate since January. I write to inform you that I
will not provide such assistance again if your all-Democrat government drifts
into another avoidable crisis,” Mitch McConnell stated.

The letter comes after 11 Republicans helped advance a
short-term debt ceiling extension on Thursday night, after a weeks-long impasse
in which McConnell and his conference claimed Democrats would have to increase
the debt limit on their own through a budget procedure known as reconciliation.

On Wednesday, however, McConnell reversed course,
agreeing to allow Democrats to approve a short-term extension that would run
until early December.

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In his letter to Biden, McConnell referenced comments on
the Senate floor on Thursday by Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who said Republicans
had played a “dangerous and risky partisan game.”

Republicans were upset by Schumer’s tirade against them
on Thursday night, shortly after 11 of them voted to approve the debt ceiling
bill.

Democrats were able to “pull our country back from
the cliff’s edge that Republicans tried to push us over,” according to
Schumer, who accused Republicans of playing a “dangerous and risky
partisan game.”

McConnell warned in his letter that Schumer’s
“childish behaviour” had “alienated” GOP senators who
supported the short-term debt hike and “poisoned the well even
further.” They’re likely to be the same GOP senators Schumer would have to
rely on if he wants to raise the debt ceiling without going through reconciliation
later this year.

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“I am writing to make it clear that in light of Senator Schumer’s hysterics and
my grave concerns about the ways that another vast, reckless, partisan spending
bill would hurt Americans and help China, I will not be a party to any future
effort to mitigate the consequences of Democratic mismanagement,” he continued.