The Republican lawmaker from Georgia appeared on Fox News late on Wednesday to discuss the White House’s calls for Congress to raise the debt ceiling without conditions, saying: “I, for one, will not sign a clean bill raising the debt limit.”
A clip showing Greene’s statement was posted on Twitter the same day and has already racked up more than 260,000 views.
Many social media users retweeting or replying to the post pointed out that Greene had no authority to sign a bill that raises or suspends the U.S. debt limit, although House lawmakers will likely be voting on one in the near future.
“Members of Congress don’t sign bills, so, ok,” tweeted liberal super-PAC MeidasTouch.
“Who wants to tell her that only POTUS signs bills? LOL,” posted Wisconsin Democrat Amy Washburn.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene certainly isn’t president, so she has no power to sign anything into law,” tweeted political commentator Russell Drew. “But it’s clear that Kevin McCarthy has given her the keys to power in his Faustian bargain to become Speaker. The lunatics are running the asylum.”
“Does MTG think a congressional representative signs bills, or is she saying she’s going to run for president?” asked another Twitter user.
The U.S. last raised its debt ceiling in December 2021, but it is expected to exceed the limit of $31.38 trillion on Thursday, January 19.
In a letter to McCarthy dated January 13, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned the Speaker that the country would reach the statutory limit on that date, adding that the Treasury would initiate “extraordinary measures” to avoid default.
As these measures can only be implemented for a limited amount of time, Yellen called on Congress to “act in a timely manner to increase or suspend the debt limit,” calling such action “critical” to avoiding the country going into default.
“Failure to meet the government’s obligations would cause irreparable harm to the U.S. economy, the livelihoods of all Americans, and global financial security,” she wrote.
“Increasing or suspending the debt limit does not authorize new spending commitments or cost taxpayers money. It simply allows the government to finance existing legal obligations that Congresses and presidents of both parties have made in the past,” Yellen added.
Several House Republicans are asking for federal spending cuts in return for agreeing to lift the debt ceiling.