Senate Dems Blast GOP For Rigid Stance On Revenues

Senate Democrats called on their Republican counterparts Wednesday to abandon a notion the left has categorized as “rigid ideology”; the absolute exclusion of revenue increases in a debt limit deal.

Sen. Chuck Schumer blasted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), comparing the senator to the likes of anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist.

“It seems Leader McConnell is willing to tank the economy for the sake of protecting tax breaks for oil companies and corporate jets,” Schumer said.

The early summer vote on ending ethanol subsidies provided Democrats with ammunition to demand revenues, not confined to the ethanol industry, be included.  Schumer called on McConnell to follow suit with a number of GOP’ers who have acted in favor of including revenues in a potential agreement.

“Senator McConnell’s demand is being contradicted by many in his own party,” Schumer said. “It seems he has ventured out on a limb, and many in his own caucus are sawing it off.”

Schumer continued his tirade against the Senate’s top Republican saying he was contradicting himself for refusing to budge on revenues, considering McConnell was among the 34 Republicans who voted to end ethanol subsidies.

McConnell went on the offensive on the Senate floor saying Democrats think that “after spending to the point that you can no longer pay the bills, you need to find other people to pick up the tab.”

“Republicans think that Democrats should be held accountable for the way they’ve mismanaged the national checkbook over the past two years, and Democrats seem to think taxpayers should take the hit,” McConnell said.