---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The American people will not tolerate a…"
description: "\"The American people will not tolerate a clean increase in the debt limit.\" — John Boehner"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/john-boehner-7050_american-people_the-american-people-will-not-tolerate-a_2298671.png"
---

#  The American people will not tolerate a clean increase in…

![“The American people will not tolerate a clean increase in the debt limit.” quote by John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/john-boehner-7050_american-people_the-american-people-will-not-tolerate-a_2298671.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/john-boehner-7050_american-people_the-american-people-will-not-tolerate-a_2298671.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/john-boehner-7050_american-people_the-american-people-will-not-tolerate-a_2298671.png)

> “The American people will not tolerate a clean increase in the debt limit.”

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The public will reject any modest rise in the borrowing ceiling.

**In simple terms:** People will oppose a small debt increase.

Key Takeaway

Expect strong opposition to debt hikes.

Themes

politics fiscal policy public opinion

Mood

skeptical concerned

Type

political policy

When to use this quote

- campaign debates
- budget negotiations
- public hearings

Key Concepts

budget constraints government spending taxation

Questions to Reflect On

- How do voters perceive debt limits?
- What alternatives exist to raising the ceiling?

A Different Perspective

Opposition may be driven by partisan motives rather than fiscal reality.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[American people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/) [Clean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clean/) [Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt/) [Debt Limit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debt-limit-370692/) [Increase](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increase/) [Increase Debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/increase-debt-534014/) [Limits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/limits/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Tolerate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-tolerate-598106/) [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) [Tolerate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tolerate/)

## Related quotes

> [I would vote to increase the debt limit if there was a corresponding level of cuts. And if there was some serious talk about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-huntsman-jr/i-would-vote-to-increase-the-debt-limit-if-there-was-a-corresponding/)

[Jon Huntsman, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-huntsman-jr/)

> [I can tell you if you look at the polls, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, they do not think we should increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-demint/i-can-tell-you-if-you-look-at-the-polls-democrats-republicans/)

[Jim DeMint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-demint/)

> [People can tolerate two homosexuals they see leaving together, but the next day they're smiling, holding hands, tenderly embracing one another, then they cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/people-can-tolerate-two-homosexuals-they-see-leaving-together-but-the/)

[Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/)

> [Freedom is a dangerous intoxicant and very few people can tolerate it in any quantity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-anne-porter/freedom-is-a-dangerous-intoxicant-and-very-few-people-can-tolerate-it/)

[Katherine Anne Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-anne-porter/)

> [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/)

[Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/)

> [It shows nobility to be willing to increase your debt to a man to whom you already owe much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/it-shows-nobility-to-be-willing-to-increase-your-debt-to-a-man-to/)

[Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/)

> [Debt ceiling is something that, you know, any time the president asks for the authority to increase the debt ceiling, the debt burden on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/debt-ceiling-is-something-that-you-know-any-time-the-president-asks/)

[Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/)

> [If we weren't running deficits, if we weren't spending more than we were taking in, there would be no reason whatsoever to increase the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-johnson/if-we-weren-t-running-deficits-if-we-weren-t-spending-more-than-we/)

[Ron Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-johnson/)

> [Bless his heart, I have respect for Mitt Romney, but I do not have respect for what he has done through this debt increase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/bless-his-heart-i-have-respect-for-mitt-romney-but-i-do-not-have-2/)

[Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/)

> [Bless his heart, I have respect for Mitt Romney, but I do not have respect for what he has done through this debt increase…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/bless-his-heart-i-have-respect-for-mitt-romney-but-i-do-not-have/)

[Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/)

> [It's not debt per say that overwhelms an individual corporation or country. Rather it is a continuous increase in debt in relation to income…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-buffett/it-s-not-debt-per-say-that-overwhelms-an-individual-corporation-or/)

[Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-buffett/)

> [“I stared at him. I said, "Wait, really? Like there's an actual part of our brain that dictates how many people we can tolerate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-wong/i-stared-at-him-i-said-wait-really-like-there-s-an-actual-part-of-our/)

[David Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-wong/)

> [Why do people tolerate you? Because they know how overly dramatic little puppies are, like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/why-do-people-tolerate-you-because-they-know-how-overly-dramatic/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [People tolerate those they fear further than those they love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-w-howe/people-tolerate-those-they-fear-further-than-those-they-love/)

[E. W. Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-w-howe/)

> [“That will not do, for your people will not tolerate me. If they get enraged by nothing more than a drink of water out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sol-t-plaatje/that-will-not-do-for-your-people-will-not-tolerate-me-if-they-get/)

[Sol T. Plaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sol-t-plaatje/)

## More by John Boehner

> [House Republicans want to pass a strong border security, illegal immigration bill. We want a bill. There is no ifs, ands or buts about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/house-republicans-want-to-pass-a-strong-border-security-illegal/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [The American people think the government in Washington is too big. That it spends too much. And - and that it's totally out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/the-american-people-think-the-government-in-washington-is-too-big/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [You can't be somebody that you're not, because all of you shows up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/you-can-t-be-somebody-that-you-re-not-because-all-of-you-shows-up/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [They know the importance of their mission and of America's commitment to combating and defeating terrorism abroad, and they know that they are making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/they-know-the-importance-of-their-mission-and-of-america-s-commitment/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [I’ll commit suicide before I vote on a clean minimum-wage bill,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/i-ll-commit-suicide-before-i-vote-on-a-clean-minimum-wage-bill/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [But make no mistake, the President will find in our new majority the voice of the American people as they've expressed it tonight: standing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/but-make-no-mistake-the-president-will-find-in-our-new-majority-the/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [The United States did not choose to fight Islamic extremists. These terrorists chose to fight our way of life. They chose to challenge our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/the-united-states-did-not-choose-to-fight-islamic-extremists-these/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [During the 1990s, world leaders looked at the mounting threat of terrorism, looked up, looked away, and hoped the problem would go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/during-the-1990s-world-leaders-looked-at-the-mounting-threat-of/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [House and Senate Republicans are now united in adopting earmark bans. We hope President Obama will follow through on his support for an earmark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/house-and-senate-republicans-are-now-united-in-adopting-earmark-bans/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [And that is why marriage and family law has emphasized the importance of marriage as the foundation of family, addressing the needs of children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/and-that-is-why-marriage-and-family-law-has-emphasized-the-importance/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [Our challenge, our opportunity is to pass common-sense solutions ... that repeal ObamaCare and replace it with patient-centered reforms that will help our constituents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/our-challenge-our-opportunity-is-to-pass-common-sense-solutions-that/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [The bill that was about jobs, jobs, jobs has turned into a bill that's about spending, spending, spending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/the-bill-that-was-about-jobs-jobs-jobs-has-turned-into-a-bill-that-s/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [Each and every day, Israel's very existence is at stake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/each-and-every-day-israel-s-very-existence-is-at-stake/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [ALEC, has been I think a wonderful organization. Not only does it bring like-minded legislators together. But the private sector engagement in partnership in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/alec-has-been-i-think-a-wonderful-organization-not-only-does-it-bring/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

> [They have called Operation Iraqi Freedom a war of choice that isn't part of the real war on terror. Someone should tell that to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/they-have-called-operation-iraqi-freedom-a-war-of-choice-that-isn-t/)

[John Boehner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

[Explore all 95 John Boehner quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/)

## More American people quotes

> [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/)

[Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/)

> [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/)

[Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/)

> [For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-as-much-as-government-can-do-and-must-do-it-is-ultimately-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Given a choice between two bald political candidates, the American people will vote for the less bald of the two.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-gold/given-a-choice-between-two-bald-political-candidates-the-american/)

[Victor Gold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-gold/)

> [When the American people saw the LA riots and crowds of Blacks cheering O.J. Simpson (who was acquitted by the almost all Black jury),…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duke/when-the-american-people-saw-the-la-riots-and-crowds-of-blacks/)

[David Duke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duke/)

> [In any event, it is one thing to assert, then or now, that the Iraq war was ill-advised. It is quite another to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-silberman/in-any-event-it-is-one-thing-to-assert-then-or-now-that-the-iraq-war/)

[Laurence Silberman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-silberman/)

> [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/)

[Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/)

> [I don't know a politician who enjoys fundraising. The system is such that the American people have lost faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/i-don-t-know-a-politician-who-enjoys-fundraising-the-system-is-such/)

[John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/)

> [Probably the greatest single obstacle to the progress and happiness of the American people lies in the willingness of so many men to invest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/probably-the-greatest-single-obstacle-to-the-progress-and-happiness/)

[John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/)

> [If a financial institution has business operations in the United States, hires people in the United States, if they are clogged with illiquid assets,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-paulson/if-a-financial-institution-has-business-operations-in-the-united/)

[Henry Paulson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-paulson/)

> [The American people reject the idea of giving Washington a blank check to increase the debt limit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-roby/the-american-people-reject-the-idea-of-giving-washington-a-blank/)

[Martha Roby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-roby/)

> [The coronavirus has yet again exposed the strong contrast between President Trump - who is working ardently for the American people - and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kayleigh-mcenany/the-coronavirus-has-yet-again-exposed-the-strong-contrast-between/)

[Kayleigh McEnany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kayleigh-mcenany/)

> [The American people demand results, not rhetoric, especially when it comes to national security issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-hayworth/the-american-people-demand-results-not-rhetoric-especially-when-it/)

[J. D. Hayworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-hayworth/)

> [Hillary Clinton truly is sincere, but she has to connect more with the American people in terms of what she believes in and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/hillary-clinton-truly-is-sincere-but-she-has-to-connect-more-with-the/)

[Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/)

> [The American people are incredibly generous and even playful when you open yourself up and feed the media beast until it goes away satisfied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krystal-ball/the-american-people-are-incredibly-generous-and-even-playful-when-you/)

[Krystal Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krystal-ball/)

[Browse all 2,233 American people quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-people/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The American people will not tolerate a clean increase in the debt limit.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "John Boehner"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/the-american-people-will-not-tolerate-a-clean-increase-in-the-debt/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "American people"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/the-american-people-will-not-tolerate-a-clean-increase-in-the-debt/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/john-boehner-7050_american-people_the-american-people-will-not-tolerate-a_2298671.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/john-boehner-7050_american-people_the-american-people-will-not-tolerate-a_2298671.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/656/john-boehner-7050_american-people_the-american-people-will-not-tolerate-a_2298671.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The American people will not tolerate a clean increase in the debt limit.” — John Boehner",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "John Boehner",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boehner/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The American people will not tolerate...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/the-american-people-will-not-tolerate-a-clean-increase-in-the-debt/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boehner/the-american-people-will-not-tolerate-a-clean-increase-in-the-debt/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
