‘We Better Practice What We Preach’: GOP Sen. Mike Braun on MSNBC Calls Out Own Party Over ‘Epiphany’ on Fiscal Policy

Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) called out his own party over fiscal policy, saying that the Republican Party has had an “epiphany” on the matter.

During an appearance on MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson Reports, host Hallie Jackson said, “Let’s be super clear, though, Senator. Raising the debt ceiling, right, is about not defaulting on the money already spent. That was spent under somebody who you, you know, supported, one of your party’s former leaders, Donald Trump, right? That was money, those were bills that President Trump and that Congress racked up that you now have to pay. How are you not going to do that?”

Braun responded that he, at least, has been consistent when it comes to fiscal policy:

“That’s part of those trillion-dollar deficits that we had evolved to, even then. And I wasn’t for that. I didn’t vote to raise the debt ceiling when I was here in ’19,” he said. “One of the few Republicans that will practice what we preach. If you don’t have reforms, don’t accommodate it.”

“So the difference here is that, never have we teed up this amount of spending,” he said. “And in the context, Hallie, $18 trillion in debt when I got here in January of ’19? Now 28.4. This is kicking something down the road.”

The party overall has not been as consistent, Braun argued.

“Yes, it’s like we’ve had an epiphany, as Republicans. We better practice what we preach, when we do get the reins back, of lowering deficits and still being engaged in issues like reforming health care, being involved in a climate discussion with conservative ideas. We don’t do that, so we gotta do better when we do get it back,” he said.

Braun made a distinction about the current situation, however, in that it’s not a matter of Republicans voting for the spending, it’s strictly accommodating Democrats. “We’ve never seen anything like this, where not one Republican voted for the spending that we now want to raise the debt ceiling to accommodate as well.”

Watch above, via MSNBC.