CNN's Wolf Blitzer put Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) on the defensive Tuesday in a testy interview on the debt ceiling, lecturing the congressman and asking provocative questions about any divides within the party on Capitol Hill.
Blitzer told Jordan that "you've got to deal with reality now" after reporting that the Balanced Budget Amendment, a brainchild of House Republicans, failed in the Senate. "You've got to deal with the hand you're dealt, and you can pass anything you want in the House, but if it doesn't pass in the Senate, it's not going anywhere," he added.
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Blitzer even tried to frame Jordan as unwilling at all to compromise in the debate, as he was planning to vote against Speaker Boehner's newest debt ceiling proposal. "It sounds like you don't even want to compromise," he told the congressman to his face.
Multiple times, the CNN host tried to sniff out any serious dissent within the House Republicans, asking Jordan provocative questions like "Do you trust the Majority Leader, Eric Cantor?" and "You hate that [Boehner's] proposal, don't you?"
"The vote tomorrow, you're definitely voting against the Speaker, right?" Blitzer framed his question to the congressman about Boehner's debt ceiling proposal. Jordan gave a diplomatic answer. "I'm not voting against the Speaker. I'm voting against his plan."
A partial transcript of the segment, which aired on July 26 at 5:17 p.m. EDT, is as follows:
WOLF BLITZER: Why do you oppose your House Speaker John Boehner's proposal that he wants to vote on tomorrow to deal with this crisis?
Rep. JIM JORDAN (R-Ohio): Wolf, I mean, look, we appreciate the Speaker's hard work he's been doing, the fact that there aren't tax increases in this plan, I think that's a great step in the right direction. But we've always maintained that let's take this moment to ultimately fix the problem, and for the first time in American history get a Balanced Budget Amendment sent out to the states. Every family, every business, every township, every county, every municipality, every state – everyone has to comply with a balanced budget requirement, except, oh by the way, the one entity that has a $14 trillion debt. And we're getting ready to raise that a couple trillion dollars more. So let's put that requirement in place. That's the long-term game-changer that can ultimately fix the country.
BLITZER: You tried that last week, it was defeated in the Senate. And even if it passed the Senate, the president says he would have vetoed it. So you've got to deal with reality now.
JORDAN: Well, but Wolf, remember this. The president is saying the same thing about the proposals on the table now, and at least the Cut, Cap, and Balance plan actually passed the House. It's the only plan put on paper – the only plan to pass the House.
BLITZER: But Republicans only have a majority in the House. They don't have a majority in the Senate, they don't have a majority in the Executive Branch of the government. You've got to deal with the hand you're dealt, and you can pass anything you want in the House, but if it doesn't pass in the Senate, it's not going anywhere.
(...)
BLITZER: Do you trust Eric Cantor, the Majority Leader? Because he says you and your fellow Republicans who are opposing the Speaker right now are just whining, and not dealing with reality, the economic crisis that could develop next Tuesday.
(...)
BLITZER: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce just put out a statement – that's not necessarily a liberal democratic group, as you well know – backing Speaker Boehner's proposal, saying this: "This legislation is critical. Default on debt obligations is not an acceptable option. The time for Congress to act is now." That's the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, it's not the Democratic Party.
JORDAN: Wolf, you know that there is not a default problem. We are not going to default on August 2.
(...)
BLITZER: You voted last week for the proposal, the Cut, Cap, and Balance proposal. As you know the Speaker himself said on Sunday, he is ready for $800 billion in increased tax revenue as part of a deal, and he also said on Sunday that proposal he made to the White House still is on the table. You hate that proposal, don't you?
JORDAN: Well, we're not for tax increases, and there's been no indication that that proposal is still on the table.
BLITZER: He said it was on the table Sunday.
JORDAN: He said that Sunday, but there's been no indication of that this week. I'm against tax increases, I think there's a huge majority of Republicans who are against tax incre – I think the American people are against raising taxes on the job creators out there. So that proposal – tax increases aren't going to fly in the United States Congress.
BLITZER: Here's what a recent CNN/ORC poll asked this question: "Are Republicans in Congress cooperating enough with President Obama?" 30 percent said yes, 68 percent said no. So I know you have your supporters out there, but this poll shows that they're in the minority.
(...)
BLITZER: And just to be precise, I want to be precise. If there's nothing passed between now and next Tuesday, you're willing to take that chance, whether it's default or not default, you're willing to avoid raising the debt ceiling, and let the chips fall where they might?
JORDAN: It's not about falling where they might. Of course we want to get something done before August 2. But we want to do the right thing. Just doing something's not going to prevent a downgrade.
(Crosstalk)
BLITZER: It sounds like you don't even want to compromise.
JORDAN: We want to compromi – what do you mean compromise? We raised the debt ceiling $2.4 trillion, which is what the president wanted. What we're saying is let's put a Balanced Budget Amendment out there so the American people can say you know what, let's ultimately fix the problem long-term and secure a bright future for our kids and our grandkids.
BLITZER: Alright, well we'll see what happens. The vote tomorrow, you're definitely voting against the Speaker, right?
JORDAN: I'm not voting against the Speaker. I'm voting against his plan. I think this plan doesn't solve the problem. It's got some good things that it keeps out of there, like tax increases, but I'm voting against the plan.
(...)
BLITZER: Alright, Congressman, thanks very much. The whole country is watching very closely. Appreciate it.
