Sen. McConnell: GOP Will Attach Demands to Debt Ceiling Vote

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace that the GOP anticipated attaching demands to the upcoming debt ceiling vote scheduled for early February, potentially instigating another showdown of the type experienced last October that nearly triggered a default and resulted in disastrous poll numbers for Republicans.

“We ought to attach something significant for the country to [Obama’s] request to increase the debt ceiling,” McConnell said. “That’s been the pattern for fifty years, going back to the Eisenhower administration. I think it’s the responsible thing to do for the country. I think he’s the one being irresponsible by saying, ‘Oh, just raise the debt ceiling. We’re not going to do anything about the debt or anything else that’s important to the country.'”

“Any specific idea?” Wallace asked.

“Keystone Pipeline‚ a good example of something that would create jobs for the American people,” McConnell said. “The House of Representatives will initiate the discussion on the debt ceiling increase. They probably will have other ideas.”

Wallace asked if it was politically wise to make a move that historically boomerangs on Republicans at a time when President Barack Obama is so vulnerable to which McConnell insisted that a clean debt ceiling was irresponsible.

Watch the full clip below, via Fox News:

[Image via screengrab]

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