Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy finally won his invitation to President Joe Biden’s negotiating table for his showdown, even if the Biden administration has repeatedly said it won’t negotiate on raising the debt ceiling. (McCarthy and other key lawmakers will meet with Biden at the White House on May 9.)
The looming U.S. debt default just got, like objects in the rear view mirror, closer than it had appeared — with Janet Yellen saying the U.S. could run out of money on June 1 without debt ceiling action in Congress.
McCarthy has used the crises and the leverage he believes it gives him as a power play, indicating that he won’t consent to raise the debt ceiling unless the White House agrees to address myriad budget compromises he presented in his ‘Limit, Save, Grow’ bill.
Mr. President:
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) March 28, 2023
I’m incredibly concerned you are putting an already fragile economy in jeopardy by insisting upon your extreme position on the debt limit. It’s time to drop partisanship, roll up our sleeves, & find common ground on this urgent challenge. https://t.co/HUbg7DckWU pic.twitter.com/t4zIaZUAqI
But a 2019 video featuring then President Donald Trump is disturbing McCarthy’s current strategy and positioning. The video being shared by the likes of Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy — and in many cases sent directly @SpeakerMcCarthy — shows Trump, a man well known to press an advantage or target any weakness he sees, saying unequivocally that the debt ceiling is no place for gamesmanship.
“I can’t imagine anybody ever even thinking of using the debt ceiling as a negotiating wedge,” Trump says. “That’s a sacred element of our country. They can’t use the debt ceiling to negotiate.”
President Trump on the debt ceiling: “I said, I remember, to Sen. Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, ‘Would anyone ever use that to negotiate with?’ They said ‘absolutely not.’ That’s a sacred element of our country. They can’t use the debt ceiling to negotiate.” pic.twitter.com/WvI6j4nqMQ
— The Hill (@thehill) July 19, 2019
