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Sen. Mike Lee, (R-Utah), on the need to rein in government spending and the debate over the debt ceiling.
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Well there is definitely a debt ceiling fight looming over Washington but is there -- fight looming in the Republican Party.
Will they held the line on spending -- and risk -- default with more on this Republican senator Mike Lee of Utah senator always great to see you thanks for coming on the show tonight.
Let's start with something that senator Mitch McConnell had to say on this very topic the president courses that you know this is no time talk about cuts right.
Mitch McConnell says over the past three decades in fact US presidents of lawmakers from both parties have routinely use the debt limit debate to reform government spending.
The president may not want to cut spending as part of the upcoming debt limit debate but history shows deficit reduction measures -- debt ceiling increases are about a standard in Washington as the cherry blossom festival.
I assume you agree with that.
Absolutely I agree wholeheartedly with senator -- assessment.
And that's why we need to have this discussion now on its.
All the more inappropriate for the president to be telling us we can't make any demands accompanying his request for yet another debt ceiling.
-- senator how did you react to the president's town in that last press conference when he talked about.
Hi this upcoming debt ceiling fight he seem to.
A little angry at you guys.
Yes he did he seemed almost in no way did the fact that he had to deal with the coequal branch of government a group of pesky individuals -- applied -- people that's what I want you.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- Yeah -- that's -- -- -- we have the audacity to insist that we follow the law.
-- that we continue to make the law as is our prerogative under the constitution when it so we await what we've got to work -- -- force.
I you know I was noticing that over since 1990.
We've raise the debt ceiling eighteen times and back in 1990 that first time we raised at the debt ceiling was three point one trillion.
You see a pattern here -- the debt ceiling gets raised the spending get rate gets -- and never comes back down.
-- that's right it goes up it never comes back down and -- in the past.
Some sometimes we've insisted on -- along the way.
Now we find our ourselves in a position where we got sixteen and a half trillion dollars worth of debt.
Cuts are gonna cut it anymore it's -- got to be more than cuts it needs to be permanent structural spending reform that's what we need.
Well what John Boehner -- said a dollar for dollar.
Spending cuts with debt ceiling hikes where do you want to start the -- I mean what should I mean what she -- cut.
Give -- a list.
OK there again it if we if we talk about it just from the standpoint of cots I don't think cuts are going to do the job.
We've got to permanently structurally reform the way Washington spends -- -- -- or tell me I wanna do that.
Okay -- way we do that is through an approach that we referred to in the last debt limit debate is cut cap and balance.
At the short of it Jerry is to say that we can raise the debt limit but we're not gonna raise the debt limit we shouldn't raise the debt -- until we put in place.
A balanced budget amendment of the constitution one that requires congress to balance its budget each year.
And one that requires a supermajority vote each time congress wants to raise the debt limit that's out there that would get us on the path.
-- no that's not going anywhere I mean it doesn't seem to me -- have the support for it I mean it's a nice.
It's a nice thing to suggested at the end of the day.
What's gonna move the ball for word on getting federal spending under control as a practical matter I mean don't have to start.
Not with all that you Social Security Medicare Medicaid don't have to start with a tough stuff.
I think you have to get there but what I'm saying is that I think that you've got to start with the principle you you've got to start -- the rule.
And that that says we we believe as a nation we a creates a nation.
That we do have to get the point where we balance our budget and then we have to put ourselves into a quarter where we're gonna be forced to do that.
And some -- like.
That's where Australia -- a -- senator.
I feel like we -- countries in a corner.
And we're waiting for congress were waiting for Capitol Hill the White House everybody to get together -- make some sensible.
Changes on how -- spending I mean we just can't afford that's.
That's right but we have to remember that nearly 70% of all Americans polled by CNN during the last debt limit debate.
Agreed that we should have a balanced budget amendment in place we should put one of place before -- raise the debt limit.
I haven't seen it -- again recently but I'm confident that it's just as high today if not higher.
And so -- it's it's it's a difficult thing to do.
And it's not ready to happen today but unless we call Ford -- last week as sort explaining the need for its never gonna happen and it needs to happen.
-- -- thanks for coming on tonight.
It looks really pretty behind the I gotta tell you Utah's nights -- thanks so much I live in a beautiful state thank you up I.
