Washington (CNN) - Less than two weeks after one of the nation's deadliest school shootings, the No.2 Democrat in the U.S. House, Steny Hoyer, compared Republican tactics for dealing with the nation's debt limit to someone threatening to shoot a child hostage.
"It's somewhat like taking your child hostage and saying to somebody else, 'I'm going to shoot my child if you don't do what I want done.' You don't want to shoot your child. There's no Republican leader that wants to default on our debt, that I've talked to," Hoyer said at a Capitol Hill press conference.
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Hoyer's comments came in response to a question about the Treasury Department's notice that the nation was approaching its debt limit. He criticized Republicans for previous resistance to raising the debt ceiling and used the gun analogy to argue that the issue should not be part of the negotiations involving the fiscal cliff.
In a session on the House floor lasting less than 10 minutes – and at which just a handful of members were present - Hoyer called on GOP leaders to bring the House back into session to craft a compromise to avert the fiscal cliff.
Shortly after Hoyer spoke to reporters, House Republican leaders held a conference call with their members and told them the House would reconvene on Sunday night - just a day before the year-end deadline.
From CNN Politics
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Not good, Steny Hoyer. Not good at all. Quite disgusting, actually.
Brillant statement with all that has happened. A typical politician from either side of the aisle that make stupid statements. With all of his education you would think he could have done a better job.
Instead of becoming a party for just a regional issue, or some sort of local-interest only party, today's GOP has become and economically based lobbying group. They promote the causes and desires of the rich exclusively- even over the needs of the greater national population.
By doing so, they are reinforcing the stereotype that the GOP is just a rich, white guy party. Each day that passes wherein they hold the needs of the many hostage to tax cuts for the rich, the closer the time comes that the GOP discovers that it has made itself completely irrelevant. Their death throws aren't pretty, but they are welcome. Rarely has any group adopted such an ardent anti-American policy and not been censured in some way for their actions.
what a bunch of morons! and WE pay their salaries! they all need to be fired...every last one of them!
I told long time AG GOP is nothing but CULT. It is a national disgrace. Drive all these GOP idiots in 2014. Period.
PS: hospitals are so greedy to charge outrageous for simple procedure to 1000 dollars where a PA can do for 150 dollars. It is all karma.
but politicians are all so smart...
.i suggest we fire them all regardless of party.... wouldnt that be a wake up call? i have people on my local HOA with more brains..
GOP terrorists are taking orders from their terrorists leader Norquist taking 98% of the American people hostage even after the election where the GOP lost seats and white house in all the branches of the US government.
Hoyer said, "There's no Republican leader that wants to default on our debt"
President Obama used to believe the exact same thing....until the Republicans refused to raise the debt limit and we defaulted on our debt...LAST YEAR!
At this point one would have to be a fool not to believe that Republicans are willing to sacrifice this nation in order to reattain power.
They don't care about the country
They don't care about the poeple
This is about money and power
So sad, to fall to this from Mr. Hoyer. You would think number two in the house wouldn't use such tactics. The Senate and the President along with a majority of Democrats have held the American people hostage. The House has in the last 4 years passed budgets and other responsible legislation that Mr. Reid REFUSES to allow be debated on in the Senate. Mr. Reid has not been doing his job for 4 years and the President can not even get his budget passed by Democrats in 4 Years. American people is this what you voted for, NO!.
Its no more stupid than an idiot in charge of the NRA saying arm people in the schools. So when students bring weapons to school what do we do have a gunfight at the OK Caral. So now which is more stupid.
House Republicans do not care about the country! They should be terminated for non-performance.
2014 can not come fast enough! The GOP will be a defunct party.
He had to say something to get the attention of people who only hear and love gun fire.
As far as I am concerned, John Boehner, Eric Cantor and those that obeyed them are unpatriotic and guilty of un-American acts. It is an American trait to never give up, which they did. They also shirked their duty when they told Obama to take care of the mess they and Paul Ryan created. They should all be recalled. It is too bad they cannot be impeached.
Hoyer finally said what the rest of the country already knows.
The GOP has plainly shown that it cares more about it's power than about what's good for the country.
Ronald Reagan, the GOP savior, raised the debt ceiling seventeen (17) times, lower taxes one (1) time and raised taxes eleven (11) times. GW Bush, the GOP Messiah, raised the debt ceiling eight (8) times and gave a $600 tax rebate to every taxpayer in the USA, and gave a 10 year tax break to everyone, all the while funding two wars. This is the equivalent to me changing jobs for less income after already living pay to pay and purchasing a new car. The GOP isn't very bright.
If this tax kicks in gear on the first of the year, IMHO, Boehner can kiss that Speaker position goodbye.
Gurgyl – A PA nearly killed me with a serious misdiagnosis. Thank God the ER doctor made the right call and saved my life! I'll gladly pay the extra money!
Isn't he bright. Obama basically has crushed the GOP and wants to further decimate the party by constantly assessing blame. If the GOP does not use the debt limit for leverage they should not be in Congress. Obama fights ugly and dirty and responding in kind is the only way to deal with him. Reason has not worked. Obama would do the same.
Can't believe Hoyer made this comparison – how crass!
What a stupid, stupid comment to make. I am a die-hard Democrat, can't stand anything that smacks of the GOP, however, this was an all-time low for the dems.
Wow jpmichigan. When I was a kid they had a comic book called Bizzaro World. It was a world where everything was opposite reality. Superman was a bad guy, Lois Lane was a woman of ill repute. From your comment, seems like you're living in a Bizzaro World if you can't see the republicans purposely holding this up just to damage their opponent both before the election and after the election. You can't really blame the dems on this one, especially after the election. Moderate and come to terms is not in the republican playbook
@jpmichigan – The Senate and the President along with a majority of Democrats have held the American people hostage. The House has in the last 4 years passed budgets and other responsible legislation that Mr. Reid REFUSES to allow be debated on in the Senate
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Wrong!! A little FACT checking before displaying an obvious lack of knowledge should be required for all right wing sheeple. That and the ability to ask why? Why does Mr. Reid refuse to debate House-passed bills in the Senate?? Could it be that they are all LOADED with anti-abortion and Defense spending increase RIDERS designed to cause Mr. Reid to reject them? Could it be that this also occurred with the President's budget proposals the last 4 yrs? Nah.... those little elementary playground tactics are nothing the big strong Teapug Obstructionist Party would ever do...
While the comments were definitely in poor taste, the sentiment is precisely on-target. The Republicans in the House are holding the country hostage and threatening to send the economy over the cliff unless they get what they want. They're domestic terrorists.
The country is being held hostage by the Grover Norquist controlled puppets John Boehner needs to grow a pair and stand up to them
It is clear what is going on the GOP is more afraid of acting (voting) and looking like they are compromising on their no taxes stance that got them elected because their individual votes will be on record than doing nothing and letting taxes go up for everyone that way they cant be blamed for it individually and risk their political hides better to go over the cliff so everyone can be blamed equally and no one singled out in other words the cowards way out.