Senators urge Biden to stop playing 'Russian roulette' with US economy

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Agency
4 May 2023 00:02

Biden was firm in his stance that he would accept no concession on government spending in return for raising the debt ceiling.

Republican Senator Rick Scott October 30, 2022 (AP)

Today, Senators have reiterated their call for Biden to negotiate the debt ceiling with McCarthy; calling on him to stop "playing Russian roulette" with the American economy.

"I am disappointed in the White House, they are missing in action. This should be the biggest issue that they are dealing with every day, they should be having daily meetings with Kevin McCarthy to figure out how we get this done," Republican Senator Rick Scott.

"Chuck Schumer should be talking to all of us in the Senate because it takes three groups to get this done. Biden has to sign something, the House has to pass something and the Senate has to pass something," He added.

Scott was joined by several other congressmen outside the capitol building, including Republican Senator John Barrasso, who shared his concerns.

"Joe Biden is playing Russian roulette with the American economy, It's time for Joe Biden to take his head out of the sand and sit down and negotiate with Kevin McCarthy," Barrasso said.

The White House made its stance clear on Tuesday that it does not have the will to negotiate to extend the nation's debt limit. Biden was firm in his stance that he would accept no concession on government spending in return for raising the debt ceiling.

House Republicans led by McCarthy have been persistent on coupling the debt-ceiling raise with cuts in government spending: which was exemplified by passing the Limit, Save, Grow Act last week.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has projected that the US government will start defaulting on its debt by June 1 if the limit is not raised by then.

The subject of the debt ceiling has been causing discord between Democrat House representatives and Democrat Senators.

Central to the intra-democrat discord is the plan proposed by Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to raise the US debt ceiling in exchange for cuts in government spending.

Nearly half of the House Democrats have expressed fondness for McCarthy's initiative such that it presents a potential compromise between the two parties: inviting Biden to negotiate an agreeable decision with McCarthy.

However, Democrat Senators seem to disagree with their House counterparts. The upper chamber Democrats stand firm by the President's decision to accept no concessions on the debt-ceiling raise.