Democrats dare Republicans to game of chicken with debt ceiling crisis talks

[mystery-ak]

Democrats dare Republicans to game of chicken with debt ceiling crisis talks
by Ryan King, Breaking Politics Reporter |
May 02, 2023 08:26 AM

The window to avert a default on the nation's debt is closing, but neither side is showing a willingness to cave on debt ceiling talks.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent shock waves through the Beltway on Monday by revealing the timeline to default got bumped up. Although President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) are set to meet next week, Congress appears to be struggling to break the stalemate.

Biden made calls to all four congressional leaders Monday, and McCarthy agreed to sit down on May 9. The pair haven't met since February.

Even though they finally agreed to talk, their differences remain stark. The White House has been clear that Biden won't negotiate on hiking the debt limit, while McCarthy has insisted it be paired with spending reductions.

“After three months of the Biden administration's inaction, the House acted, and there is a bill sitting in the Senate as we speak that would put the risk of default to rest," McCarthy said Monday. "The Senate and the President need to get to work — and soon."

Now, Democrats in the Senate are beginning to talk about introducing a bill to force a clean debt limit hike despite appearing not to have 60 votes. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has stepped back and said he will let McCarthy take the lead in negotiations with the White House.

more
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/democrats-dare-republicans-game-chicken-debt-ceiling

[mystery-ak]

 Senate Dems plan hearings to pick apart GOP debt deal

Republicans and Democrats remain at loggerheads over debt ceiling negotiations.



By Katherine Tully-McManus

05/01/2023 09:41 AM EDT

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced in a Dear Colleague letter Monday morning that Senate committees will hold hearings on legislation passed last week by House Republicans to raise the federal debt limit and cut government spending.

But those hearings will not be not an attempt to move the bill forward, but to message against the proposed cuts.

“The Senate will show the public what this bill truly is. Beginning this week, our Committees will begin to hold hearings and expose the true impact of this reckless legislation on everyday Americans. On Thursday, the Budget Committee will hold a hearing on the Default on America Act,” Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote, creating his own moniker for the GOP proposal.

The Senate Budget Committee hearing on Thursday will feature Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics and leaders of the Environmental Defense Fund and the Solar Energy Industries Association.

more
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/01/senate-democrats-debt-limit-00094628