Jayapal, a Progressive Rep., criticizes debt ceiling bill as “terrible policy.”

Rep. Jayapal Slams Debt Ceiling Deal as “Absolutely Terrible Policy”

“First of all, let me say, terrible policy,” Jayapal said. “Absolutely terrible policy; does not reduce spending, actually, by some estimates, creates a burden on administrative spending that is actually worse for, you know, for the overall cost of a program like that. Number two, it is about people who are hungry, people who just need a little bit of temporary assistance…and we are one of the only countries in the world, if not the only country in the world, that is an industrialized country that puts any requirements on people who just want food. So very bad policy; does not save money and, by the way, does not work.”

Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), the Progressive Caucus Chair, did not mince words when denouncing the debt ceiling bill as “terrible policy.””>provisional debt ceiling deal struck between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and President Joe Biden. Appearing on CNN, she expressed her opposition to the tentative compromise, calling it “absolutely terrible policy.”

SNAP Work Requirements

Jayapal specifically took issue with the inclusion of work requirements for SNAP benefits, which she argued would negatively impact poor people. While she had not yet read the full text of the bill and could not determine if the work requirements were a deal-breaker, she criticized Republicans’ handling of negotiations.

“I told the president that directly when he called me last week on Wednesday, that this is saying to poor people and people who are in need that we don’t trust them,” she added.

Despite her opposition to SNAP work requirements, she did not rule out voting for the bill to avoid a default, which she believes would be “disastrous.”

Exceptions to Work Requirements

She noted that some exceptions were apparently added to the work requirement, and she would look into those to see if there were enough to warrant her support for the bill.

President Biden and McCarthy reached a tentative agreement on the debt ceiling on Saturday, with the full text of the bill expected to be released on Sunday.

Conclusion

While the debt ceiling deal may be a necessary evil to avoid a default, Rep. Jayapal’s strong words serve as a reminder that policies affecting the most vulnerable members of society should be carefully considered and not rushed through without proper scrutiny.

• Source: The Washington Examiner