Republican U.S. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, of Miami, says her fellow Republicans in Congress want to rein in federal spending to reduce inflation and boost the economy, and are bickering with each other because “democracy is not pretty.”
She also said she opposes those in her own party who want to see Congress end funding to Ukraine in their war with Russia.
“We have a major problem in Washington, which is spending,” she told CNN on Thursday. “We're spending $4 million a minute. That is $6 billion a day. That's $70,000 a second. We cannot sustain that trend. We have an addiction problem of spending.”
The federal government's projected budget deficit this year is about $1.5 trillion. The national debt is $33 trillion.
The House and Senate are facing an October 1 deadline — the start of federal fiscal year — to approve 12 spending bills to keep the federal government open or approve a “continuing resolution” that keeps the money flowing to fund federal agencies while they continue debating the annual budget.
But Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's is battling with a core group of hard−right Republicans who have refused to support his budget proposal.
On Thursday, McCarthy acknowledged his frustration, saying, “This is a whole new concept of individuals who just want to burn the whole place down.”
Salazar says Republicans "do not want to shut down the government — we want to improve the economy.”
She says Republicans and Democrats in Congress should work together to find compromise, saying she has reached across the aisle to partner with Democrats on various legislation.
Said Salazar: “This country is bipartisan. There are only two parties, the Republicans and the Democrats. We have got to work with them.”
In funding for Ukraine, Salazar insists the U.S. must show the world it’s a reliable partner and keep the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Vladimir Putin could say, OK, look, Biden is pretty weak and Congress abandoned the Ukrainians,” she says “Now why don't we try Poland?”
Ending support for Ukraine, she says, would create “a major, monstrous problem” for the U.S. and the rest of the world.
