Media Buzz: Obama Misled Congress, Public During Debt Limit Crises
Washington,
February 11, 2016 -
House Committee: Treasury Played Politics in Debt Ceiling Debate
"The U.S. Treasury for political purposes tried to suppress the existence of backup plans that would allow the government to continue making some payments in the event of a partial government shutdown, according to a newly published report from the House Financial Services Committee."
Secret Fed Docs Show Obama Misled Congress, Public During Debt Limit Crises
"Federal Reserve Bank of New York officials secretly conducted real-time exercises during the 2011 and 2013 debt-limit crisis that demonstrated the federal government could function during a temporary shutdown by prioritizing spending, even as Treasury Secretary Jack Lew publicly claimed many times that such efforts were 'unworkable,' according to a new report by the House Financial Services Committee obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation."
Treasury sought to withhold plans on debt: Report
"[E]mails from inside the New York Fed paint a picture of the Treasury as withholding information in order to gain leverage in the ongoing negotiations…Not everyone inside the New York Fed was happy with the Treasury's 'close hold' approach to the planning information. 'Agree the close hold here is crazy, counter-productive, and adds risk to an already risky situation,' wrote a New York Fed employee on Sept. 24, 2013."
Obama misled Congress on debt limit: House report
"The stunning revelation could fundamentally change the battleground between Capitol Hill and the White House heading into the next debt showdown early next year, because it means a president could no longer use the threat of a full government shutdown to win a debt hike."
GOP investigation: Treasury misled Congress, public about the debt limit
"The Obama administration considered prioritizing debt payments if the nation hit its borrowing cap, despite public assurances from the Treasury Department that such a plan would be unworkable… One internal email from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York showed that 'Treasury wants to maximize pressure on Congress by limiting communications about contingency planning.'"
Inside the Fed's `D-Day' War Games for Breach of U.S. Debt Limit
"Republicans on the panel said the documents show that the Obama administration misled the public about contingency plans during recent debt-ceiling showdowns and obstructed a subsequent congressional probe into the matter."
Obama Lied, and the Debt Ceiling Died
"What do you call it when an administration blatantly lies to the public to get its way in a debt ceiling fight, then covers it up for two years? For the Obama White House, it’s called 'par for the course.'"
The Obama Administration Misled Americans During the 2013 Debt-Ceiling Debate
"At the time, the White House and Treasury’s message was that there was no way to prioritize or sell anything. Well, as it turns out, documents subpoenaed by the House Financial Services Committee reveal that during the 2013 debt ceiling debate, 'the Obama Administration is not only capable of prioritizing payments in case the nation’s borrowing authority is not raised, it has run ‘tabletop exercises’ to prepare for such a contingency – contradicting earlier public statements from Treasury officials.'"
Probe: Obama Admin, Treasury Dept. Misled Nation on Public Debt Limit Plan
"One communication from the Federal Reserve was especially damning, saying, 'Treasury wants to maximize pressure on Congress by limiting communications about contingency planning.'
Subpoenaed Documents Reveal Obama Admin Deliberately Kept Congress in Dark Over Debt Ceiling Plans
"The Obama administration deliberately withheld information and kept Congress in the dark on how it was going to prioritize payments if the debt ceiling was not raised…”
House Report Says Treasury Secretary Misled Congress Over Debt Ceiling Risks
"Another internal email from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York complained, 'Treasury wants to maximize pressure on Congress by limiting communications about contingency planning,' according to the report."
