House Democrat floats Biden-McConnell assembly to resolve debt restrict standoff
Rep. Ro Khanna instructed Sunday that the important thing to resolving the standoff on elevating the debt ceiling could possibly be President Biden sitting down with considered one of his previous Senate colleagues: Senate Republican chief Mitch McConnell.
“The president’s saying he’s not going to be hostage in having veterans cuts on health care, and having cuts on K through 12 education, in having cuts on food stamps, in having cuts in manufacturing to just pay our bills,” Mr. Khanna, California Democrat, stated on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “[Mr. Biden] is saying we can discuss that, we can negotiate, but first pay your bills. I think Senator McConnell understands this, and I think the president will sit down with Senator McConnell. He knows that we can’t default.”
But Mr. McConnell has made it clear he’s in no temper to assist Democrats or the White House. He has warned that he and his Senate GOP colleagues wouldn’t come to the rescue to help a clear debt-limit increase, regardless of the Kentucky Republican reducing bipartisan offers prior to now.
Mr. McConnell insisted Mr. Biden hash it out with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who final week corralled House Republicans to narrowly move laws that will increase the ceiling for one yr to keep away from default and slash federal spending by trillions of {dollars}.
“I want to disabuse any of you of the notion that there is any measure clearing the Senate with 60 votes that could be approved by this House, is essentially zero,” Mr. McConnell informed reporters final week. “This agreement must be reached because we must never default. The agreement needs to be reached between the speaker and the president.”
Despite Democratic management of the Senate, 60 votes shall be wanted to beat a filibuster and move any measure to keep away from default.
SEE ALSO: Sen. Bernie Sanders: Biden ‘can start negotiating tomorrow’ on price range cuts however not debt restrict
Mr. McConnell cited Mr. Biden’s previous deal-making abilities when he was vice chairman and a senator from Delaware, urging the president to make spending concessions with a divided Congress.
“The president knows how to do this, he and I did it in 2011, and he knows sometimes in divided government you don’t get things exactly the way you want them,” Mr. McConnell stated. “I would remind the president just as he did in 2011, that this is one of those occasions, and until he and the speaker reach an agreement, we will be at a standoff.”
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