Joe Biden continues to stretch negotiations regarding the debt ceiling and Republicans are already becoming impatient. House leadership again encouraged the head of state to meet with Kevin McCarthy to agree on expirations and a possible reduction in spending.
The White House proposed a clean debt ceiling increase with no extra requirements, a far cry from the bill that passed the House in April. The
Cap, Save, and Grow Act of 2023, passed by 217 Republicans and no Democrats, provides for a one-year ceiling increase
passed by 217 Republicans and no Democrats, provides for a one-year increase in the ceiling andthen a reduction in government spending. The only Republicans to vote against were Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Tim Burchett (R-KY), and Ken Buck (R-CO).
House Republican Majority Leader Steve Scliase (R-LA) weighed in on Sunday and called the president back to the negotiating table. "The White House ultimately needs to enter into this negotiation. The president has been in hiding for two months. That is not acceptable to Americans. They expect the president to sit in a room with President McCarthy and start negotiating, not hide," he told ABC News.
"We just passed a bill that addresses the debt ceiling. And from everything we hear from our friends in the Senate, they haven't passed anything yet. If they have a better idea, I want to see that bill and tell them to pass it in the Senate. We just passed the bill through the House, and we have been very vocal," the Republican congressman added.
🚨 BREAKING—House Republicans passed a plan to address the debt ceiling, end insane Washington spending, and put America back on track for sustained economic growth.
This sends a clear message to Biden: Continuing to ignore the problem isn't an option. He must come to the table.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) April 26, 2023
Scalise said that by not meeting with McCarthy, Biden is trying to "run out the clock and create a debt crisis". If the debt ceiling is not resolved by June, the United States risks default. In other words, the debtor (United States) may not be able to meet the legal obligation to pay the debts incurred.
"That's irresponsible. Republicans have at least said if the president is going to stand on the sidelines, we're not. We're going to lead. We've passed a bill to address the problem. It's time for the president to get in the game, stop standing on the sidelines and let's start negotiating and get this resolved, not in June when midnight comes, but today," he added.
As for Biden's position, the President stated that while he would be "happy" to meet with Speaker McCarthy, a clean debt ceiling increase is "non-negotiable."
