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Wednesday 29 March 2023
Debt ceiling impasse: McCarthy presses Biden to negotiate

From Front The White House has em- build on Republicans to al-
phasized that Biden is not low for a clean debt ceiling
By KEVIN FREKING willing to entertain pro- increase — with no spend-
Associated Press posed cuts in programs sim- ing-cut trade-offs — and
WASHINGTON (AP) — ply in exchange for lifting then lawmakers from the
House Speaker Kevin Mc- the debt limit. But McCar- two parties can negotiate
Carthy, R-Calif., said Tues- thy and Republicans are overall levels for federal
day he’s increasingly con- insisting he must for debt agencies in spending bills
cerned about President ceiling legislation to move for the coming fiscal year.
Joe Biden’s unwillingness ahead. The two sides are The failures of Silicon Val-
to negotiate on lifting the on a slow-motion collision ley Bank in California and
nation’s borrowing author- course that could have Signature Bank in New York
ity, saying in a letter to the negative implications for have also added to con-
president that the White the economy in the months cerns about how the threat
House position could “hold ahead. of a default could impact
dire ramifications for the “Nearly two month ago, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., joined at right the economy.
entire nation.” you and I sat down to dis- by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., chair of the House Education McCarthy listed several
Rather than open direct cuss a path forward on Committee, talks to reporters after the House narrowly passed prospects for reducing fed-
talks on the debt ceil- the debt limit,” McCarthy the “Parents’ Bill of Rights Act,” at the Capitol in Washington, eral spending in his letter to
ing, which the Democrats wrote. “Since that time, March 24, 2023. Associated Press Biden. Among them:
agree must be raised, Biden however, you and your — Reducing “excessive
and his party’s lawmakers team have been com- House responds, believing So far, the House Freedom non-defense” spending
are challenging Republi- pletely missing in action on that many voters would not Caucus, which includes to “pre-inflationary levels”
cans to publicly present any meaningful follow-up look favorably on some of many of the House’s most and limiting growth in fu-
their own budget propos- to this rapidly approaching the proposals Republicans conservative members, ture years.
als — something McCarthy deadline.” are urging. has put forward a blueprint, — Reclaiming unspent CO-
has so far declined to do. He also told Biden, “Simply “It’s time for Republicans which includes returning to VID funds that he says have
For now, the Treasury De- put: You are on the clock. to stop playing games, fiscal year 2022 spending sat dormant for more than
partment has resorted to It’s time to drop the parti- pass a clean debt ceiling levels and allowing for 1% two years.
“extraordinary measures” sanship, roll up our sleeves, bill, and quit threatening annual growth after that for — Strengthening work re-
to avoid default on the and find common ground our economic recovery,” the next 10 years. The plan quirements for people
nation’s $31.4 trillion bor- on this urgent challenge. said White House press sec- also includes rolling back without dependents who
rowing authority. But those Please have your team retary Karine Jean-Pierre. an estimated $400 billion in receive federal assistance.
measures will run out — and reach out to mine by the “The president welcomes Biden’s student loan relief — Enacting policies to low-
put the U.S. at risk of being end of this week to set a a separate conversation and clawing back all un- er energy costs and secure
unable to pay all of its bills date for our next meeting.” about our nation’s fiscal fu- spent COVID-19 funds. the U.S.-Mexico border.
— possibly as early as June. Show your plans, the White ture.” The White House has seized McCarthy also briefed
on those Freedom Cau- House Republicans on the
cus proposals, saying they letter during a closed-door
would lead to draconian meeting Tuesday, accord-
cuts that would endanger ing to a person familiar with
Americans’ safety, such the private session and
as cutting federal support granted anonymity to dis-
for local law enforcement, cuss it. McCarthy told his
scaling back rail safety in- colleagues that Biden mis-
spections and jeopardizing led them about the budget
safety at U.S. airports while negotiations, which have
increasing wait times at TSA essentially stalled since
security check points. their first meeting Feb. 1,
Republicans in the House the person said.
say voters gave them a Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.,
mandate to reduce future disparaged McCarthy’s
deficits and put the coun- letter as consisting only of
try on firmer financial foot- bullet points and called on
ing for coming decades. House Republicans to both
They are portraying the produce a budget and
White House as inviting the raise the debt limit, noting
standoff by refusing to ne- Congress lifted the ceiling
gotiate. three times during Donald
“The one thing that is not Trump’s presidency.
going to be helpful is Wash- “The full faith and credit
ington playing this silly of the United States gov-
game of waiting to the last ernment should not be in
minute to do something,” question,” Aguilar said.
said Rep. Byron Donalds, “The United States pays its
R-Fla. “And so I think what bills.”
the speaker is doing is lead- Senate Republicans have
ing the country. Our hope is said it will be up to the ad-
that the president joins us in ministration and House Re-
that work.” publicans to work out an
But Democrats believe the agreement on the debt
pressure will continue to ceiling. q