Stakes Out Yet A Third Position On Increasing Government’s Credit Card Limit

Just weeks after flip-flopping on her past position over raising the nation’s debt ceiling and accusing Republicans of “playing chicken,” U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) is now staking out yet a third position, and demanding that any vote to raise the debt ceiling be tied to tax hikes on America’s domestic energy producers.

Earlier today, McCaskill joined with some of the Senate’s most liberal Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), in sending a letter, outlining her latest stance, to Vice President Joe Biden.  Notably, McCaskill’s renewed support for higher energy taxes comes the same day that the Consumer Confidence Index fell to a six-month low amid growing concerns over the labor market and rising food and gasoline prices.

“It’s astonishing that at a time when gas prices are hovering at $4 per gallon and the national debt has skyrocketed past $14 trillion, Claire McCaskill wants to raise taxes in return for her vote to increase our country’s credit card limit,” National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond said today.  “When will Senator McCaskill recognize the problem is not that the federal government taxes too little, but that it spends too much?”

For background, it’s also worth recalling that in February, McCaskill said that she would not threaten to vote against raising the nation’s debt ceiling to force support for new federal spending caps.  Yet, as her letter today shows, Senator McCaskill apparently believes raising taxes takes precedence over cutting federal spending.