House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said Tuesday the debt limit extension lends itself to “phony political demagogic” stunts and speculated that Republicans including Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) are recognizing that a dollar-for-dollar demand of cuts isn’t feasible.
“I believe there are a number of Republicans no longer talking about a dollar-for-dollar [demand], because they don’t believe that that’s doable,” he told reporters at his weekly briefing. “I would hope we don’t have the confrontation we had caused by Mr. Boehner saying we’re going to have a dollar for dollar on the debt limit. I don’t think Mr. Boehner is saying that now. You might ask him. But if he is saying it he knows he can’t get there.”
“You know, I get bored with my own rhetoric. I think you guys must get bored with it too,” Hoyer said. “Because we say that over and over again because we have the same debate.”
“So it’s a phony political demagogic vote,” he said. “And both sides have used it in that vein. … Republicans more strenuously and self-righteously, I think, than Democrats.”
