GOP negotiator: Trust lost with debt limit deal foes.

Rep. Garret Graves: Trust Eroded Among House Republicans Over Debt Ceiling Bill

“I think there was some trust was lost. I’m not gonna lie, I’m really offended.”

Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), the lead negotiator for the House on the debt ceiling bill, has expressed his disappointment with some members of the House Republican Conference who have vocally opposed and attacked the bill. Speaking to reporters, Graves revealed that there has been an erosion of trust, particularly with Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), whom he had grown to respect but has now had a strained relationship with over the past week.

Biden Works to Push Debt Ceiling Deal Over the Finish Line

Graves and Roy have discussed their differences, but they will need to have a longer conversation once the debt ceiling bill is through. Graves said, “We’ve discussed how we’re going to need to sit down and talk, probably over several bottles of something initially, because there’s some pretty raw feelings, I think, on both sides right now.”

While Graves agrees that Congress needs to cut more government spending, he believes that members such as Roy, Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), and Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) made a “tactical flaw” in opposing the bill before negotiations were complete. These members bad-mouthed the deal before its release, without any knowledge of what would be in the deal or that it would be “the largest savings in history.”

“Now they put themselves in a situation to where these historic wins, they boxed themselves into a ‘no’ vote on the most substantial progress that we’ve ever made, ever made,” Graves said.

Over 30 Republicans have said they plan on voting against the debt ceiling bill when it comes to the floor Wednesday evening, leaving House Republicans to rely on help from House Democrats to get the bill over the finish line and send it to the Senate.

What Rep. Chip Roy Said

Rep. Chip Roy has been a leading voice opposing the debt ceiling bill. He has said that if it passes, there will be a “reckoning” for Republican leaders, that no Republican should vote for this bill, and that it doesn’t actually cut spending and would make the country’s fiscal state worse. In response to Graves’s comments, Roy tweeted that he thinks Graves is a “good man” and knows Graves worked hard to get a deal but that he still thinks it’s a bad bill.

Conclusion

It’s clear that there are differing opinions among House Republicans regarding the debt ceiling bill. While some members have expressed their opposition to the bill, others believe that it’s a step in the right direction towards cutting government spending. Regardless of the outcome of the vote, it’s important for members of Congress to work together and find common ground for the good of the country.