President Joe Biden hammered Republicans from the White House on Monday and laid blame for the fight over a bill to raise the debt ceiling solely at the GOP’s feet.
In an address to the nation Monday morning, Mr Biden presented the debt ceiling fight as a problem manufactured by Republicans, who incurred trillions of dollars in debt over the course of the Trump administration. Those same Republicans, he added, were now lying about why the debt ceiling increase was necessary.
‘Folks watching at home, you should know that this is the Republican position. Here it is: Republicans won’t raise the debt limit to fund their own spending,” Mr Biden said.
“As soon as this week, your savings and your pocketbook could be impacted by this Republican stunt,” he continued.
The US has until roughly 10 October to raise the debt ceiling, after which Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said America will be unable to fully meet its obligations.
Mr Biden and his party hope to pass a measure through the Senate to extend America’s borrowing limit before that date, but face the threat of a filibuster from their GOP colleagues. Such a measure would require 60 votes to defeat a filibuster threat, as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has ruled out passing a debt ceiling hike through budget reconciliation.
Republicans have spent weeks falsely tying the increase of America’s debt ceiling to the Democrat-led plan to revitalize America’s infrastructure and social programs to the tune of $4.5 trillion in total over two bills. One bill totaling $1 trillion was supported by a number of GOP senators and passed the Senate without a filibuster.
Democrats have correctly pointed out that even should both of Mr Biden’s infrastructure bills fail in the House or Senate, America would still run out of money to fund its existing obligations.
On Monday, Mr Biden drove that point home while hanging a bill for $8 trillion in debt incurred by the US under the Trump administration around the neck of Republicans who he said were now unwilling to pay for their own spending.
“They’re responsible for more than 8 trillion in bills from the previous administration,” said Mr Biden.
“A failure to raise the debt limit will call into question Congress’s willingness to pay debts already incurred,” he continued.
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