In a fiery exchange on the House floor, Republican Rep. Chip Roy delivered a powerful rebuttal to far-left Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) during a heated debate over the national debt and the debt ceiling back in May 2023. The issue at hand? Whether to raise the debt ceiling yet again, as Democrats continued their reckless spending spree. AOC’s attempt to deflect blame and paint Republicans as fiscally irresponsible was met with a thorough and well-deserved takedown by Rep. Roy, exposing the absurdity of the progressive left’s talking points.
AOC, known for her bombastic rhetoric and radical policies, began by blaming Republicans for not being present in sufficient numbers for the debate. She then went on a tirade, accusing the GOP of running up the national debt through military spending and tax cuts—conveniently ignoring the massive amounts spent on entitlement programs under her party’s leadership.
In typical fashion, AOC tried to shield Democrats from any criticism of overspending by claiming that programs like Social Security and public schooling are untouchable because they are popular. What she ignored, however, is that popularity doesn’t equal sustainability. The nation’s entitlement programs are hemorrhaging taxpayer dollars, contributing significantly to the out-of-control $32 trillion national debt.
AOC thundered on, blaming Republicans for the debt crisis: “What this debt ceiling debate really is about is the fact that they have run up a bill that they now do not want to pay.” In her view, military spending and tax cuts for the wealthy are the true culprits.
But Rep. Chip Roy wasn’t having it. In a stunning response, he took the floor and systematically dismantled AOC’s arguments. First, he answered her rhetorical question about whether Americans ever think the government is doing too much: “I’ll say it right here. I don’t want the government doing most of the things that the government is doing to interfere with the ability of the American people to carry out their lives.”
Roy didn’t stop there. He highlighted the real issues plaguing this country—the border crisis, skyrocketing national debt, and a bloated federal government that does more harm than good. “Anybody thankful for $32 trillion in debt? Anybody thankful for a border that’s wide open, being exploited by cartels? What fentanyl comes in and kills our children. Anybody thankful for that?”
By turning the conversation back to the nation’s deteriorating fiscal and security situation, Roy hit on the core issues that everyday Americans face. The left’s obsession with expanding government power, he argued, is not only unnecessary but dangerous. He gave several examples, including the IRS unfairly targeting minorities and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) overstepping its bounds. “We have a government that is weaponized against the American people and is undermining our liberties. And they want more of it.”
Roy concluded by addressing the dangerous notion of continuing down this path of unchecked spending and debt accumulation. He called out not only Democrats but also Republicans who might be tempted to compromise on raising the debt ceiling without addressing the underlying fiscal crisis. “Anybody making a deal right now? $4 trillion? Are you out of your frigging mind?”
In a time when the American people are grappling with rising inflation, open borders, and an oppressive federal bureaucracy, Rep. Roy’s response resonated. His sharp critique of big government, reckless spending, and the left’s disregard for the fiscal health of this country struck a chord with conservatives and concerned citizens alike.
The debate over the debt ceiling is far from over, but one thing is clear: Conservatives like Chip Roy are fighting to rein in government overreach and restore fiscal sanity. AOC and her fellow progressives may be content to spend their way into oblivion, but they’ve now been put on notice. The American people deserve better, and Chip Roy made it clear—there are still voices in Washington willing to stand up for them.
