Reps. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) and Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), top talkers for their respective parties, butted heads over the debt ceiling in a debate this weekend.
"I think the Republicans have come in saying that they're gonna not raise the debt ceiling and they're gonna allow the full faith and credit of the American people go down the tubes," Weiner said on CBS's "Face the Nation." "It's their ship to run now, that's the responsibility. This is an adult game now and the risks are pretty high."
Bachmann said she'll encourage her constituents to sign onto an initiative that would prevent the debt ceiling from being extended.
"Congress has had a big party the last two years, they couldn't spend enough money, and now they're standing back folding their arms saying 'oh,' taunting us to figure out how are you going to solve this big spending crisis," Bachmann said. "That's why it's so important for Democrats to now be a part of trying to figure out how we can be responsible."
Despite resisting any increase to the debt ceiling, a move that could prompt a government shutdown due to a lack of funding, Bachmann claimed disabling the government wasn't her goal.
"We are not looking to shut the government down, no one benefits," Bachmann said. "But at the same time we are not looking at wanting to continually raise the debt ceiling."
Weiner suggested the two actions were one and the same.
"I don't know what you call it Michele, but that's shutting down the government," Weiner said.
During a separate interview Sunday, Austan Goolsbee, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, warned those who would vote against raising the debt ceiling to consider the potential consequences.
"As I say that's not a game," Goolsbee said. "I don't see why anybody's talking about playing chicken with the debt ceiling. If we get to the point where you've damaged the full faith and credit of the United States, that would be the first default in history caused purely by insanity. There would be no reason for us to default other than that would be some kind of game. We shouldn't even be discussing that. People will get the wrong idea. The United States is not in danger of default. We do not have problems with that. This would be lumping us in with a series of countries throughout history that I don't think we would want to be lumped in with."
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