Fox News "Hannity" - Transcript: Interview with Kevin McCarthy

Interview

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Congressman, good to see you.

How do you stand up to it? Others talk about maybe not increasing the debt ceiling. What are you going to do?

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Well, you stand up strong and say no. What the Democrats are trying to do is extend the credit limit on the credit card and add trillions of dollars.

And when you talked about it a little earlier, you're 100 percent correct, Sean, the only thing President Biden is delivering are disasters. Our border is not secure. Our place on the world stage is not safe, and our economy is suffering.

Here we are with inflation that we haven't seen in decades and they want to spend trillions more will only put us in more harm's way, create a socialist, big government. And what we all need to do is all we need are four Democrats to vote no. We watched in markup in the last week where three Democrats said no in Energy and Commerce, and we saved $700 billion.

The Democrats are coming back and try to just put it back in the bill. We've watched another Democrat in Ways and Means to say no. If you add those three plus the other, that makes four. If they vote no on the final bill, we're able to stop it.

HANNITY: Okay, if they don't do it, and will Republicans unite and not increase the debt ceiling?

Now, okay, you can do that in the House, they'll have a bigger problem in the Senate. But then it's going to be Republicans are shutting down the government and the full faith and credit of the United States government is in jeopardy. You know the arguments.

MCCARTHY: Yeah, not at all, because remember what I've done. And the past debt ceiling paid for everything in the Trump administration plus seven months of this Biden administration. Who in America today, there's not one economist, not a Democrat economist that says spending $5 trillion is the right way to move forward with inflation and the suffering we're having today?

On the House, right now, they just passed with a debt ceiling in it and every single Republican said no. In the Senate, I believe the Republicans will hold firm.

Remember, Sean, the Democrats have the House, the Senate and the White House. If they really want to extend the debt ceiling, they can do it on their own. But I don't think the American people want that.

HANNITY: So, let me ask you this -- is there anything that Republicans in Congress can do to save Americans behind enemy lines as hostages? Anything they can do at the border?

MCCARTHY: Well, I'll tell you what we've done numerous times, but as you understand, 218 is what runs the floor. We just need four Democrats to join with us.

We have pressed this president on where is the plan, we put it up before on the floor and asked just for four simple things. One to extend the deadline to every Americans out. Tell us exactly how many weapons were left behind. No money for the Taliban and no recognizing of the Taliban.

The Democrats, every single one of them voted no. This is why we need people to join with us.

Those who are watching the show tonight need to call the Democrats and tell them to join, not be based on a party, but stand up for the Americans who are left behind. Never in the history of America has an administration done this.

HANNITY: Never before, and this border is a disaster. We'll be watching closely.

Congressman, thank you.

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