September 29 — The time has come for a decision to be made about the federal debt and what the country is going to do.
It has reached the point where the country can’t make payments on our debt. We’ve hit the authorized ceiling on borrowing money.
If we increase the debt ceiling, obviously, we could pay the debts, but the spending would just continue unabated.
If we keep the debt ceiling where it is, we’re going to have to figure out how to trim the budget to make those payments.
That’s where we are and that’s why legislators will be battling it out over the next 24 hours — tomorrow is the deadline.
Attorney Clint Barkdoll said, “I think it’s still likely it’s going to happen. The House did pass some of those piecemeal spending packages last night, but the reporting is the votes aren’t in the Senate to approve it. So they’re on the last 24 hours here now and there’ll be a lot of action on that today, but it doesn’t look like they’re going to get it done.”
On top of this, there’s another possible package of money dedicated to Ukraine.
Pat Ryan of NewsTalk 103.7FM suggested, “I don’t know how most of the country is not screaming bloody murder on the phones, on the email. You mean to tell me we’re going to pay more money with no accounting for it to Ukraine? And for what? A proxy war with Russia with not $1 being accounted for? Who knows how that money is flooding back into the states or boats for these oligarchs or whatever we’re starting to see on some of the social media here. And yet this is what these lawmakers are doing in DC with our dollars.”
Barkdoll said, “There were comments on that floor debate yesterday that Ukraine is starting to feel like the 51st state. I mean, just all of the funding and concessions we’re giving to them. That was part of this spending package that they did strip out last night, but that’s where it’s probably among other things going to get jammed up on the Senate side.”
A 60 Minutes report showed where some of the money to Ukraine is going.
Michele Jansen of NewsTalk 103.7FM noted, “Paying the pensions of Ukrainians? That’s ridiculous. Here we’re about to have a government shutdown and yet we’re paying for the government people in the Ukrainian system. It’s just absurd.”
Barkdoll said, “You mentioned the oligarchs and the yachts, if you watch that 60 Minutes overtime piece, the US seized a bunch of those assets. It’s costing the US government a fortune to maintain those properties. They have crews that have to be on there 24/7. They have to keep it fueled. They have to keep the air conditioning running so mold doesn’t develop in these yachts, and it’s tens of thousands of dollars a day that the government’s spending just to hold those assets in custody.”
“That we’re spending,” Ryan contended. “Make no mistake, these lawmakers are wiping their feet on your kids, your grandkids and your grandkids face with that. If they’re approving any more money for Ukraine, this is asinine at this point.”
Barkdoll reminded, “That got stripped out on the House side, but whether that comes back into the package if the government shuts down Saturday, is this going to be part of the negotiation with the Democrats in the Senate?”
Jansen added, “And of course the border now is becoming the big negotiation piece. Where’s the press? Where’s the press? Where’s the press?”
Ryan said, “More lies right to your face.”
Elon Musk was apparently at the southern border yesterday.
Barkdoll said, “Musk is saying he wants to do more. He’s right there on the border and he’s looking at what’s going on.”
Jansen suggested, “We’d know about it if journalists were journalists still and were trying to hold power accountable, but they’re not anymore.”
Ryan said, “You’re being taken for a hell of a ride here. John Joyce has been on the southern border more than Joe Biden knows what the southern border is at this point.”
Jansen noted, “Joe Biden was fundraising in two border states and didn’t bother to go to the border.”
Barkdoll said, “I do think it’s interesting though that polls are showing this is becoming bipartisan, at least among voters, something like 70 some percent of all voters now think something more needs to be done down there.”
