Steve Scalise: Biden ‘Trying To Run Out The Clock And Create A Debt Crisis’ By Rejecting GOP Bill

John RigolizzoMay 1, 2023

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise Accuses Biden of Attempting to Cause Debt Crisis

House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) has accused President Joe Biden of trying to create a debt crisis by refusing to negotiate with Republicans. Scalise appeared on ABC News’s “This Week” Sunday and criticized Biden for rejecting the debt ceiling bill passed by House Republicans and for not negotiating with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) over the debt limit.

Scalise Calls for Negotiations

“The White House needs to ultimately get into this negotiation,” Scalise told host Martha Raddatz. “The president’s been in hiding for two months, Martha. That’s not acceptable to Americans. They expect the president to sit in a room with Speaker McCarthy and start negotiating, not hiding, not waiting and trying to get a debt crisis.”

Scalise also criticized Democrats for rejecting the Republican bill and challenged them to come up with a better idea. He emphasized that Republicans had passed a bill to address the problem and that it was time for Biden to get involved in negotiations.

The Republican Bill

House Republicans passed the “Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023” on a party-line basis Wednesday. The bill suspends the debt ceiling until it rises by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024 — whichever comes first. The bill also returns spending to 2022 levels and caps new spending at 1% per year; it also reclaims unspent COVID-19 funds and repeals several Biden spending policies.

Biden Administration’s Response

However, the Biden administration said the president would veto the bill before the House even passed it. The White House Office of Management and Budget stated that the bill was a reckless attempt to extract extreme concessions and that it stood in stark contrast to the President’s vision for the economy. Therefore, if the President were presented with the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023, he would veto it.

McCarthy’s Challenge

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) challenged Biden to agree to talks and dared Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to put an alternative debt ceiling plan to a vote. “Now, the president can no longer put this economy in jeopardy,” McCarthy said.