Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has joined his conservative colleagues in Congress to voice his opposition to a proposed plan that would increase the debt limit and restrict spending for two years, arguing that it would lead the country toward financial ruin.
Just days after President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced an agreement to extend the debt ceiling until January 2025, DeSantis, who recently announced his presidential candidacy, shared his thoughts on the matter.
In an interview with Fox News, DeSantis expressed his concern, saying, “Our country was already heading towards bankruptcy even before this deal.” He further emphasized that this agreement would only perpetuate our downward spiral into insolvency.
DeSantis raised eyebrows at the staggering amount of money involved, stating, “To think that we can increase our debt by $4 trillion in the next year and a half is simply massive.”
He referred to the projection that suspending interest payments on the nation’s $31 trillion debt would result in a $4 trillion increase by that time, a figure also cited by Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz and others.
The spending limits outlined in the agreement for the next two years have also faced criticism from DeSantis and even members of his own progressive wing.
While acknowledging that inflation necessitates a reduction in spending, DeSantis argued that the agreement falls short of the expectations of House Republicans. He noted that the injection of COVID relief funds had already inflated this year’s budget.
Since the implementation of COVID funding in March 2020, our budget has taken a different trajectory, and there are no signs of changing course. Unfortunately, I believe this is woefully insufficient in addressing our predicament.
DeSantis also highlighted Florida’s requirement for a balanced budget under state law.
“In Florida, we have substantial budget surpluses, so take a look,” he stated. “Despite having a $1.2 trillion economy, we have the second-lowest debt per capita in the nation, at under $17 billion. It’s clear that in Washington, D.C., they operate on these cycles just to get through the next election, but we make tough choices and prioritize the long term. This is one of the main reasons they continue to fail.”
Following House Speaker McCarthy’s revelation that he had discussed the arrangement with former President Donald Trump, DeSantis took a stance against it.
“I briefly mentioned it in my recent conversation with President Trump,” he revealed. “He advised me to ensure that we secure a favorable agreement moving forward.”
DeSantis, a former House member, who currently trails Trump in the polls by a significant margin, has aligned himself with a group of House members who are dissatisfied with the agreement and have been openly critical of it.
Representative Dan Bishop of North Carolina took to Twitter on Sunday, stating, “RINOs applauding McCarthy for achieving next to nothing in exchange for a $4 trillion debt ceiling increase is nauseating.” He accompanied the tweet with a puking emoji.
Describing it as a “debt ceiling surrender,” Republican lawmaker Ken Buck from Colorado also expressed his disapproval of the deal.