U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican of Georgia, on Tuesday was the highest bidder among House Republicans for a cherry “chapstick” used by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. Greene, who promotes herself as a culture warrior and fiscal conservative, made the winning bid for the lip balm after McCarthy sweetened the deal by promising to attend a donor dinner, according to reports.
“During GOP conference today,” Politico’s Olivia Beavers reports, “House Rs did about a 15-min fundraising auction for chapstick used by Speaker McCarthy. The winner: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), whose winning bid was $100,000, her Spox confirms to me.”
“Others bid on it as well, but MTG ultimately won: And as bidding went on, McCarthy would sweeten the deal, throwing in agreeing to attend a dinner with donors/supporters for whoever wins, Spox confirmed,” Beavers adds, citing Greene’s spokesperson. “The chapstick specifically was a Rep. Aaron Bean campaign chapstick.”
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Speaker McCarthy has been allegedly negotiating with President Joe Biden over the debt ceiling. If Republicans refuse to raise the debt limit, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warns by June 1, the U.S. will default on its debt for the first time in history. Experts say the result will likely have global ramifications, drive interest rates sky high, and devastate the U.S. and world economies. It will also destroy international confidence in the American dollar, and permanently increase the interest rate the U.S. spends on its debt.
It is if the $100,000 came from Greene’s personal funds or if it is donor money.
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) responded to the news, saying, “They doing this insane chapstick shit while the country teeters on default. Wild.”
“$100,000 spent on used chapstick,” said podcaster Rachel Vindman. “Please bring this up when people say this woman is relatable and down-to-earth.”
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) tweeted, “In today’s Democratic caucus meeting, we discussed how devastating a default would be for American families and what we can do to get the GOP to take this seriously. In the House GOP meeting, they auctioned off Kevin McCarthy’s used chapstick.”
Journalist Rafi Schwartz: “MAGA economic populism is spending more for a tube of used chapstick than most of your constituents make in an entire year.”
U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan (D-VA): “MAGA Republicans are paying $100,000 for Speaker McCarthy’s chapstick while holding Social Security checks and retirement benefits hostage unless we cut food benefits for seniors, Medicaid funding, and childcare/preschool for low-income Americans.”
The Lincoln Project’s Philip Germain: “House Republicans demand an end to wasteful and reckless spending while dropping $100,000 on Kevin McCarthy’s used chapstick.”
U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY): “Spending $100,000 on chapstick while working overtime to gut the programs that working families rely on. GOP priorities in a nutshell.”
Beavers posted a photo of the Georgia GOP Congresswoman with the “chapstick,” although it’s unclear if it was a Chapstick branded balm.