Democratic lawmakers are warning President Biden against negotiating with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Senate Democrats raised alarms at news that Biden motioned for serious negotiations with the GOP to cut spending and raise the debt ceiling.
“Yes, he’s negotiating. I don’t know what else what you call it,” Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz told reporters, according to The Hill.
He continued, “No, we’re not going to swallow that. I think that it is preposterous that the Speaker of the House has woken up sometime this week and decided that work requirements for needy families was his hill to die on, that this is some high principle that is worth taking the country to default.”
MCCARTHY REBRANDS LOOMING DEBT CEILING BREACH: ‘BIDEN DEFAULT’
President Biden, right, is set to meet with top Republicans to try to resolve a standoff over the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and avoid default. (ANDREW CABALLERO/AFP via Getty)
Biden had his second meeting on the debt limit with McCarthy and other Congressional leaders on Tuesday, just before jetting off to Japan for the Group of 7 summit.
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The president is cutting his international trip short and will return to the U.S. for debt limit negotiations instead of visiting Papua New Guinea and Australia as initially planned.
Biden will still leave Wednesday for a three-day G-7 summit in Hiroshima, Japan.
BIDEN REFUSES TO ACCEPT WORK REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDICAID IN GOP DEBT CEILING TALKS
U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy joined by fellow Republican lawmakers, holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Until yesterday, talks have resulted in little movement, with Democrats maintaining their position and Republicans demanding spending cuts drawn out in their Limit, Save, Grow Act be paired with any increase in the debt ceiling.
“Kevin McCarthy has two main requests: Attack ordinary, working families across America by cutting the foundations for health care, housing, education and good-paying jobs, and unleash fossil fuels on America. And both of those are absolutely unacceptable,” said Democratic Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley.
WHAT IS THE DEBT CEILING, AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU?
He continued, “I want the president to see that he has the support in the Senate to use the 14th Amendment. He has support to say no to outrageous demands from the radical right.”
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris meet with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer in the Oval Office of the White House.
Democratic Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine took particular issue with suggestions to roll back spending based in Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act.
“If it’s about rolling back the IRA, I’m going to fight against that for sure because the energy community tax credits, they really help Virginia, including some of the parts of Virginia that need the most economic help. There are a number of things I’m hearing about that would cause me concerns,” said Kaine.
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The Treasury Department has estimated that the U.S. will default as soon as June 1 if Congress does not lift the debt ceiling.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion, Michael Lee and Elizabeth Elkind contributed to this report.
