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South Carolina Republican Representative Ralph Norman faced widespread mockery after appearing on Fox News and complaining about not having enough time to read the 99-page bill negotiated by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy that aims for a a bipartisan agreement to raise the national debt ceiling and avert a historic default.
During his appearance on Fox News, Ralph Norman grumbled about the lack of time to read the 99-page debt deal bill. He also complained about it being sent out for review during the Memorial Day weekend.
However, Fox anchor John Roberts pointed out that Norman had 72 hours to review the bill before the vote, emphasizing that it was only 99 pages long.
You can hear watch their exchange in the video below.
\u201cRALPH NORMAN: It's like the Pelosi days. You gotta pass it before you read it.\n\nFOX: But he's giving you 72 hours to read it.\n\nNORMAN: We ought to have a lot more time.\n\nFOX: It's only 99 pages.\u201d— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1685472889
Shortly afterward, California Democratic Representative Ted Lieu led the mockery on Twitter, highlighting the feasibility of reading the bill within the given timeframe.
Lieu calculated that if Norman "worked 8 hours" a day, he would have had "24 hours over 3 days to read 99 pages," averaging "a little over 4 pages every hour." Lieu even suggested that Norman could have utilized artificial intelligence to "summarize the bill" in just one minute. The widespread ridicule on social media pointed out the irony of Norman's complaints.
Lieu also noted that the bill's pages are "double spaced text."
You can see his tweet below.
\u201cLet\u2019s do some math. If GOP Rep Ralph Norman works 8 hours a day, that\u2019s 24 hours over 3 days to read 99 pages. That comes out to reading a little over 4 pages every hour.\n\nAnd these are double spaced text pages.\n\nAlternatively, he can have AI summarize the bill for him in 1 min.\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1685477357
Despite his claims of not having enough time to read the bill, Norman had managed to review it over the weekend.
He took to Twitter to criticize the bill, calling it "insanity" and expressing his refusal to vote for it. Norman objected to the $4 trillion debt ceiling increase without significant spending cuts, stating that he would not support measures that would potentially "bankrupt our country."
You can see his tweet below.
\u201cThis \u201cdeal\u201d is insanity. \n\nA $4T debt ceiling increase with virtually no cuts is not what we agreed to. \n\nNot gonna vote to bankrupt our country. The American people deserve better.\u201d— Rep. Ralph Norman (@Rep. Ralph Norman) 1685245852
Given the math lesson Lieu gave him, many were quick to criticize Norman for his complaints.
\u201c@tedlieu I as a conservative have to stand with ted on this one,\nmore than enough time to read and decide.\n\n2.5 - 3.2 hours for the average person\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1685477357
\u201c@tedlieu @WyoJudyShepard This is true. And, let\u2019s not forget, many of these lawmakers have advanced educations, where reading more than 100+ pages a night isn\u2019t usual.\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1685477357
\u201c@tedlieu @atrupar It\u2019s the double spacing that makes me laugh even harder. Wide margins.\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1685477357
\u201c@tedlieu If he spent as much time reading as he did whining about the time he has to read on Fox News, he may be half way through already. Four pages an hour does seem generous though.\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1685477357
\u201c@tedlieu I read over 50 pages of the newly published annotated Ulysses Grant memoirs this morning in just two hours after my morning coffee. C'mon, man.\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1685477357
\u201c@tedlieu Norman is holding out for the audio version.\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1685477357
\u201c@tedlieu @atrupar Well, you know, it might refer to lots of pieces of existing law. That's so confusing!\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1685477357
\u201c@tedlieu @atrupar That leaves no time for TV appearances. Have a heart, Congressman.\u201d— Ted Lieu (@Ted Lieu) 1685477357
Earlier, the bill to raise the debt ceiling passed a key procedural hurdle in the House of Representatives, setting the stage for a vote on the bipartisan debt deal itself.
The House ultimately passed the bill 314-117.
The legislation aims to suspend the debt ceiling until January 1, 2025, providing more time to address the issue after the 2024 presidential election.
It includes spending caps, expedited energy project permitting, the retrieval of unused COVID-19 funds, and expanded work requirements for food aid programs. The bill's success hinges on garnering support from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
Now that the bill has cleared the House, it will go to the Senate, where it runs the risk of delay but has nonetheless received the support of both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who could agree to fast-track the legislation to avert default.