A trio of GOP lawmakers blasted President Obama Wednesday for using fear as an ultimatum and a means to convince Americans that the nation’s debt limit must be raised by August 2.
Reps. Steve King (R-Iowa), Louis Gohmert (R-Texas) and Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) accused Obama of threatening Americans after saying he could not guarantee seniors would receive their Social Security benefits if the debt limit is not raised.
“I would encourage the Speaker not to believe the President anymore… because if he did his homework, [Obama] will find that there’s such a thing as a Social Security Trust Fund.”
Gohmert said the fund would provide the government with enough money to pay Social Security beneficiaries for months to come, even if Congress did nothing to raise the nation’s debt limit.
Both Gohmert and Bachmann blasted the Obama administration for using scare tactics against Americans, attempting to make a potential default seem life-ending and comparing these negotiations to the CR debate that took place earlier this year.
“This is a misnomer that I think the President and the Treasury Secretary are trying to pass of on the American people,” Bachmann told reporters. “That is simply not true.”
The three conservatives introduced a piece of legislation that would ensure that the interest on the country’s debt and members of the military be paid in the event of a default. The bill, known as the PROMISES Act, will allow the country to avoid default on August 2, according to the trio.
“There’s money there no matter what we do,” Gohmert said.