House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reiterated to reporters Monday that decisions regarding raising the debt ceiling have to start being made to get a deal worked out before June 1, which is Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s “hard deadline” for the US to raise the nation’s borrowing limit.
“We don’t like governing by deadline,” McCarthy said. Adding that the meetings, so far, have been “professional and productive.”
The House speaker said that negotiating teams are back together and working. “You know, time is of the essence,” he told reporters Monday. “Time is critical. We’ve got 10 days to go.”
The optimistic tone comes after negotiations hit a snag and were put on pause Friday, and representatives of each side spent most of the next two days criticizing the other while defending their own positions.
McCarthy also said that he has been clear with President Joe Biden from the beginning about Republican priorities. “We’re not going to raise taxes. We’re going to spend less money than we spent this year,” he said.
McCarthy also said that he believes that a majority of Republicans will support a negotiated deal. “I firmly believe what we’re negotiating right now, a majority of Republicans will see that it is a right place to put us on a right path,” he said.
McCarthy said that cutting defense spending is not on the table.
“I look at what’s happening in the world today. Look where the president just went. The G7 all focused on China. Look what the president has done with the funding, what we have voted for Ukraine. Look at our weaponry we had shipped a lot to Ukraine we’ve got to replace. I don’t think you should put America in jeopardy. So, no,” he said.
He also suggested that the House could give up their planned Memorial Day recess if a deal isn’t reached.
“Oh yeah. We’re going to stay and do our job,” he said.
McCarthy reiterated that currently “nothing is agreed to” but there have been “good discussions” between negotiators. The top House Republican warned something has to get done “this week” to move through Congress in time. He said “it is still possible” to make the June 1 date.
Hear the exchange:
Source: www.cnn.com