Sen. Markey: Dems can’t concede to ‘radical right-wingers’ on debt limit

JOINING US, NO DEMOCRATIC SENATOR OF MASSACHUSETTS, A SIGH OR OF THAT LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT, SENATOR MARKEY, YOU ARE THE FIRST SENATORS TO EVER SAY THIS TO A PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. THE DEBT CEILING HAS BEEN AROUND FOR ALMOST 100 YEARS. IT IS NEVER COME TO THIS BEFORE. WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE POINT WHERE YOU ARE URGING THE PRESIDENT TO, IN EFFECT, JUST IGNORE CONGRESS AND GO AHEAD HIMSELF? >> IT’S PRETTY CLEAR. SPEAKER MCCARTHY’S TENOR TO THE MOST RIGHT WING, RADICAL, CONSERVATIVE MEMBERS OF HIS CAUCUS. HE CAN’T GET THE DEAL THAT DOES NOT, IN

FACT, RESULT IN ABSOLUTELY UNCONSCIONABLE CUTS TO PROGRAMS THAT AFFECT THE MOST VULNERABLE IN OUR SOCIETY. WE JUST CAN’T, AS A COUNTRY, ALLOW FOR SOMETHING THAT IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL, TO BE USED BY THESE RADICAL RIGHT-WING US. THAT’S A WAY OF EXTRACTING CONCESSIONS, TIME AND TIME AGAIN AT THIS CRITICAL DEBT CEILING MOMENT IN OUR HISTORY. WHEN DONALD TRUMP WAS PRESIDENT, THE DEFICIT, THE DEBT WENT UP EIGHT TRILLION DOLLARS. HUGE INCREASES IN DEFENSE SPENDING, TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAX BREAKS FOR THE RICH, FOUR BILLIONAIRES AND MILLIONAIRES. THEY DIDN’T CARE AT ALL. WHAT’S JOE BIDEN GETS IN, THE CLOCK IS

OUT, THE TSA SAID. THEY WANT TO SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT IF THEY DON’T GET THESE CUTS FOR WHO? BILLIONAIRES, THE DEFENSE BUDGET? NO, IT’S FOR THE POOREST IN OUR SOCIETY. THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION, OF ARTICLE 14, SAYS QUITE CLEARLY

THAT THE VALIDITY OF THE PUBLIC DEBT HAS AUTHORIZED BY LAW SHALL NOT BE QUESTIONED. AS AUTHORIZED BY LAW MEANS ALL OF THE BILLS THAT HAVE ALREADY PASSED. THEY’RE ALREADY THE LAW. YOU’VE ALREADY GONE OUT WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD AND BOUGHT ALL OF THIS STUFF. NOW THE BALLOTS ARRIVED IN THE CONSTITUTION SAYS THAT YOU MUST PAY IT.

I THINK THAT THIS MIGHT BE JUST THE RIGHT MOMENT TO ONCE AND FOR ALL, STOP THIS NONSENSE. LET’S JUST INVOKE THE 14TH EVENT, AND NEVER AGAIN HAVE THIS CRAZY SITUATION WHERE THE MOST RIGHT RADICAL ELEMENTS ARE ABLE TO HOLD OUR ECONOMY AND THE GLOBAL ECONOMY HOSTAGE. WELL >> LET’S LISTEN ONE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAT HAS SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS. ONE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS IN CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, HARVARD LAW PROFESSOR, LAURENCE TRIBE. TRIBE. >> THE REAL QUESTION IS NOT WHAT POWERS JUST THE PRESIDENT HAS, IT’S WHAT DUTIES THE PRESIDENT HAS. DOES THE PRESIDENT HAVE A DUTY

TO EXECUTE ALL OF THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES? THE ONES THAT CONGRESS PASSED, TELLING HIM TO SPEND MONEY. HE DOES HAVE THAT DUTY. >> SENATOR, I HAVE TO SAY, THAT USE OF THE PROFESSORS FOCUS ON DUTY REALLY SHARP AND MY ABILITY TO SEE THIS POINT THE WAY THAT HE’S MAKING. >> LAWRENCE TRIBE, AS USUALLY IS RIGHT ON THE MONEY. HE’S STILL BEATING CONSTITUTIONAL EXPERTS IN OUR COUNTRY. THE 14TH AMENDMENT IS VERY CLEAR. IF WE WERE HAVING A REASONABLE NEGOTIATION WITH THE REPUBLICANS, IF THERE IS A WAY WHERE BOTH SIDES WERE COMING TO THE TABLE,

IF THE TAX BREAKS FOR MILLIONAIRES AND BILLIONAIRES WERE A POT OF THIS DISCUSSION. WE PROBABLY WOULDN’T BE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION. NONE OF THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING. AS A RESULT, MAYBE IT’S TO CLARIFY HISTORICAL MOMENTS, WHERE WE LOOK BACK AT THE WISDOM OF THAT POST CIVIL WAR RECONSTRUCTION ERA OF CONGRESS, WHEN THEY ENSHRINES INTO THE CONVERSATION THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT PAY ITS BILLS. THAT THEY ARE VALID, THEY SHOULD NOT BE QUESTIONED. I WOULD SAY THAT IT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT COMES EASILY, AS A POLITICAL PROCESS, BUT I THINK THAT KEVIN MCCARTHY WILL NOT HAVE THE

LEEWAY, I AGREE WITH ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ. I THINK IT’S GOING TO BE TIED,