Letters to the Editor: The painful costs of the debt ceiling standoff

To the editor: I almost choked on my breakfast when I read in Doyle McManus' column that "solving the impasse may depend on McCarthy's wisdom and courage, two commodities that have not been reliably measured." McCarthy is the guy who handed over security video of Jan. 6 to Tucker Carlson. This is the guy who stated, “President Trump won this election. So everyone who’s listening, do not be quiet. We cannot allow this to happen before our very eyes.” McCarthy is the guy who blamed Trump for the Jan. 6 insurrection and then walked it back.

Wisdom and courage? Nobody should expect to see anything resembling those two virtues from Kevin McCarthy, let alone his merry band of MAGA obstructionists.

Bill Waxman, Simi Valley

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To the editor: I strongly concur with the author's apprehension about the debt ceiling. I am deeply concerned that both House leadership and Republican senators are exploiting our nation's well-being to engage in partisan politics, seeking substantial reductions in essential programs such as education, food assistance, housing and other vital initiatives that provide millions of people with access to necessities.

The current inflationary trends are exacerbating the financial strain on Americans, while wages remain unresponsive to the escalating costs. Countless individuals are already enduring significant hardships, and it is disheartening to witness further attempts to inflict harm through this process. I harbor profound fears about the potential burden on our already overwhelmed social systems, including food banks, emergency rooms and charities that support families and children.

Sarah Miller, University City, Mo.

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To the editor: If Republicans force a debt ceiling standoff based on requiring deficit reduction by social safety net spending cuts, perhaps Democrats should consider a demand for the suspension of the billionaire tax-relief signed by Trump. It doesn’t seem like an equal trade though: penalizing many millions of those in genuine need to make the 0.1% pay a fair share for deficit reduction.

Nick Caskey, Santa Ana

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.