'This is not leadership. This is almost like dictatorship,' said Debbie Wasserman Schultz. DNC head: GOP could spark 'chaos'

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), chair of the Democratic National Committee, said Wednesday that House Republicans are trying to impose “dictatorship” through their tactics in the debt-ceiling negotiations. She said the GOP rhetoric could “spark panic and chaos,” which she called “potentially devastating” to the economy.

The chair telephoned POLITICO to express “significant disappointment in where … Republicans have allowed this debate to degenerate.”


“Aren’t we at the point where the closer we get to chaos, the more concern that there should be about coming to the table and compromising with Democrats?” Wasserman Schultz asked. “This is not leadership. This is almost like dictatorship. I know they want to force the outcome that … their extremists would like to impose. But they are getting ready to spark panic and chaos, and they seem to be OK with that. And it’s just really disappointing, and potentially devastating.”

Specifically, Wasserman Schultz cited a movie clip House Republican Whip Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) had played Tuesday during a closed-door meeting of the House Republican Conference. The brief clip was from “The Town,” and Republicans said it was intended to send the message that “we’re all in this together.”

The DNC chair said: “They start the day with trying to incite their caucus with, essentially, violent movie clips – pushing their people to inflict pain and hurt people.”

Michael Steel, press secretary to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), responded: “Given how serious the situation is – and the situation is serious – why is she spending time complaining about Kevin McCarthy’s taste in movies?”

Wasserman Schultz continued: “What should be happening is what we’ve been ready to do for months. Ideally, what should be happening is a big deal – a big solution for a big problem, as the president has pushed for. At this point, it’s probable that we’re too close to the breaking point on Tuesday for that to happen.

“At the very least, we should come to the table and hammer out a compromise that has the balance in it that the overwhelming majority of the American people want – and not just pile all the pain on seniors, on children, on the middle class and working families.

“It’s just shockingly irresponsible that the closer we get to the breaking point here, the more irresponsible – and the closer they are to pushing us to chaos, as if that is the desired outcome.”

Wasserman Schultz concluded: “We’ve been sitting at the compromise table for a long time. We’re just waiting for that cold chair to be warmed up by the Republican leadership. They still have time to do the right thing and be responsible. They just seem to be moving further and further away from it.”