It’s Time for President Biden to Wake Up and Negotiate with Speaker McCarthy
‘Yesterday’s meeting was an overdue first step. I hope President Biden has begun to wake up… The Democrats can’t waste any more time. The White House has to stop sleepwalking towards default and reach a spending deal with the Speaker.’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) delivered the following remarks today on the Senate floor regarding the debt limit:
“I was glad to attend yesterday’s White House meeting in solidarity with Speaker McCarthy.
“Since February, the Speaker has been the only key player handling the debt limit in a responsible fashion.
“Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans have passed the only legislation currently in existence that prevents default. He’s spent months waiting for President Biden to come to the table.
“But the White House has wasted three months. The President of the United States has been M.I.A.
“Let’s hope yesterday was the start of the Administration accepting reality.
“Everybody knows there is only one way to defuse the looming crisis. The normal and routine thing. Spending negotiations between the President and the Speaker.
“The American people voted for divided government.
“President Biden refusing to compromise is not an option.
“Unconstitutionally acting without Congress is not an option.
“There is exactly one way to prevent a pointless, avoidable crisis: The bipartisan negotiation that Speaker McCarthy has been calling for since February.
“Seven of the last ten debt limit hikes came with a bipartisan deal on spending levels.
“Just four years ago, we had today’s situation in reverse. What happened? Secretary Mnuchin was sent to negotiate with Speaker Pelosi. They struck a caps deal. And the debt limit was addressed.
“Yesterday’s meeting was an overdue first step. I hope President Biden has begun to wake up. Even rank-and-file Democrats in the House and Senate say the President’s refusal to negotiate has been untenable.
“The Democrats can’t waste any more time. The White House has to stop sleepwalking towards default and reach a spending deal with the Speaker.”
###
Next Previous
