New GOP lawmaker gets first taste of clash with House Dems

An incoming Republican freshman got a taste of his Democratic opposition in the House before the 112th Congress even convened.

Rep.-elect Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) appeared on “Face the Nation” Sunday with Tea Party favorite Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), Chief Deputy Whip Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) and Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.).

{mosads}Kelly, a car dealer, said he was coming to Washington with the perspective of the private sector where it’s “not impressive” to run a business in the red.

“I’m looking to really go to work and work very hard,” Kelly said. “I’ve worked hard
all my life, and I’ve done it with my own money. I’ve had my own skin
in the game. So I’m, kind of, interested in seeing when you get into a
situation where, really, it’s not your money. You can spend anything
you want. Just throw the charge card out. In fact, keep raising the
debt ceiling as much as you want because you don’t have to worry about
paying it back.”

Wasserman Schultz said “what remains to be seen is whether members like Mike Kelly are going to
be able to turn their essentially campaign rhetoric into some kind of
reality.”

“Because with all due respect to his response, there isn’t any ‘there’
there,” she said. “I mean, we haven’t heard any concrete proposals. Anthony is
absolutely right. We’ve only heard attacks on what they don’t like.”

Weiner said, “Republicans have come in saying that they’re going to not raise the
debt ceiling and they’re going to allow the full faith and credit of
the American people to go down the tubes.”

“It’s their ship to run now,” the liberal congressman continued. “This is an adult game now.”

Kelly was asked about the looming debt ceiling vote and the prospect of a government shutdown.

“Speaking as an adult who has always paid his own way, I do
understand what happens,” he said. “And raising the debt ceiling to me is
absolutely irresponsible. We’ve been spending money for so long that we
don’t have and keep saying, well, it’s OK; we’ll just raise taxes;
we’ll find it somewhere.

“Tax revenue comes from people who are working, people who are profitable. It does not come from raising tax rates,” Kelly added.

Bachmann said that she was not in favor of raising the debt ceiling and was running an online petition to lobby members against doing so.

“It’s not good for anyone to shut the government down,” she said. “That’s why I think it’s important for the Democrats, who are so
willing to spend money, to now be a part of trying to figure out how we
can be responsible.”

“You want to be in charge until you’re actually in charge,” Weiner fired back.

Wasserman Schultz took aim at one of the first items on the House agenda, the Republican rules package that would give incoming Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) greater powers to set budget limits.

“Having one member set the budget ceiling for the entire country is absolutely irresponsible and undemocratic,” she said.

“You know, this is what America loves,” Kelly responded. “This is what America loves, both
sides pointing the finger at the other saying, ‘No, it’s your fault.’ ‘No, it’s your fault.’ “

“It’s not about fault,” Wasserman Schultz responded. “What are you going to do?”

“When we talk about having adult conversations, then we really have to start acting like adults,” Kelly said. “…I don’t know how in the world you folks go home and look these people
in the eye and say, ‘We’ve done a great job. We’ve done a great job.
Your country’s $14 trillion in debt.’ “

Weiner fired back at Kelly. “First of all, the ‘you folks’ stuff — now you are one of those folks,” he said. “And it is your job in the majority party to govern. And the first thing
the Republicans did when they took back the House the last time is they
drove the government to a shutdown. And I guess, from what I’ve heard
Michele say and you say, that’s what’s going to happen again. But all
the ‘you’ stuff — that has to end today.”

Bachmann countered that she was not looking for a government shutdown.

“But at the same time, we’re not looking at wanting to continually raise
the debt ceiling,” she said. “That’s something that the Democrats want to do.”