Former VP Pence Calls for Biden to Meet With House Speaker for Debt Ceiling Talks

Former Vice President Mike Pence Slams President Biden for Refusing to Negotiate with House Republicans Over Debt Ceiling Talks

In a scathing attack, former Vice President Mike Pence criticized President Joe Biden for his unwillingness to negotiate with House Republicans over the lapsed debt ceiling talks. Pence called it “unconscionable” that the president would refuse to meet with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) over the Federal debt.

Pence emphasized that the Constitution requires us to uphold the full faith and credit of American currency, and it’s our obligation to do so. However, Biden has gone 80 days without even having a conversation with Speaker McCarthy, which is unacceptable.

It’s worth noting that about a decade ago, when Biden was vice president, he boasted about how closely he worked with House Republicans to negotiate an agreement. But now that he’s sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office, he’s saying “I won’t even talk about it.”

White House and House Republicans in Deadlock Over Debt Ceiling

The Democrats and House Republicans have been deadlocked in a dispute on whether to raise the debt ceiling, as the looming deadline approaches. If Congress and the White House fail to raise the debt ceiling, the U.S. government could risk default by June, which would shake the global economy.

While some moderate Democrat legislators have pushed Biden to negotiate with McCarthy, the rest have refused to accept Republican budget cuts in exchange for preventing a default.

White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told NPR on April 20 that the Biden administration would not negotiate with GOP-controlled House over its debt ceiling spending cut proposal. He said that the president insists that talks over raising the U.S. debt limit be kept separate from talks over federal spending.

However, McCarthy announced legislative framework last week that would raise the debt limit for a year. His budget plan will raise the debt ceiling by over $1 trillion, but also return federal spending to 2022 levels, while capping growth annually at 1 percent annually. Unfortunately, the White House refused to accept the proposal.

McCarthy Puts Pressure on Democrats to Accept Budget Proposal

McCarthy and Biden last met in February to discuss the debt ceiling, but have not held a meeting since. They agreed to resume talks over the debt ceiling after they each offered their budget proposals. Biden promised that he’s ready to meet with the speaker anytime, tomorrow if he has his budget. He said, “Lay it down. Tell me what you want to do. I’ll show you what I want to do. See what we can agree on.”

House Republicans have a slim majority, making their hold tenuous, which the Biden administration is counting on. If McCarthy can keep his caucus in line, it could put pressure on the Democrat-controlled Senate and the White House to agree to more of his terms regarding the debt.

Pence said he hopes that Republicans will “rally” around McCarthy’s call to fiscal responsibility, in the expectation that the Democrats and Biden will come “to the table” to negotiate in good faith.

Key Takeaways:

• Former Vice President Mike Pence criticized President Joe Biden for his unwillingness to negotiate with House Republicans over the lapsed debt ceiling talks.
• The Democrats and House Republicans have been deadlocked in a dispute on whether to raise the debt ceiling, as the looming deadline approaches.
• White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told NPR on April 20 that the Biden administration would not negotiate with GOP-controlled House over its debt ceiling spending cut proposal.
• McCarthy and Biden last met in February to discuss the debt ceiling, but have not held a meeting since.
• If McCarthy can keep his caucus in line, it could put pressure on the Democrat-controlled Senate and the White House to agree to more of his terms regarding the debt.

It’s crucial that both parties come together to negotiate in good faith and find a solution to the debt ceiling issue before it’s too late. The global economy is at stake, and we cannot afford to let politics get in the way of progress.