Biden Demands Details on Budget Cuts From McCarthy - The New York Times

Politics|Biden Demands Details connected Budget Cuts From McCarthy

WASHINGTON — President Biden volition inquire Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Republican of California, connected Wednesday for details connected what fund cuts his enactment is demanding successful bid to rise the national indebtedness bounds and for assurances that Mr. McCarthy volition not judge an economically debilitating authorities default, White House officials said.

The demands, outlined successful a memo that the White House released connected Tuesday, are an effort by Mr. Biden to unit Republicans to prosecute successful a statement implicit taxes, spending and indebtedness connected presumption that are much favorable to the president than to recently empowered conservatives connected Capitol Hill.

Mr. Biden is seeking to unit Mr. McCarthy to specify which programs helium would chopped — a database that astir apt includes immoderate spending that is fashionable with the nationalist — and to cipher however overmuch Republicans would adhd to the indebtedness with further taxation cuts.

In the memo, Brian Deese, the manager of the National Economic Council, and Shalanda Young, the manager of the Office of Management and Budget, said the president would merchandise his yearly fund connected March 9 and asked erstwhile Mr. McCarthy would bash the same.

“It is indispensable that Speaker McCarthy likewise perpetrate to releasing a budget, truthful that the American radical tin spot however House Republicans program to trim the shortage — whether done Social Security cuts; cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Affordable Care Act wellness coverage; and/or cuts to research, acquisition and nationalist information — arsenic good arsenic however overmuch their fund volition adhd to the shortage with taxation cuts for the wealthiest Americans and ample corporations,” Ms. Young and Mr. Deese wrote.

Understand the U.S. Debt Ceiling

Mr. McCarthy responded to the memo successful a tweet connected Tuesday, saying “I received your staff’s memo. I’m not funny successful governmental games. I’m coming to negociate for the American people.”

Mr. Biden is acceptable to conscionable with Mr. McCarthy astatine the White House connected Wednesday, their archetypal gathering since Republicans took power of the House. Administration officials person said the treatment volition interaction connected a wide scope of topics, but its rule backdrop is the menace by the House talker and his caucus not to summation the indebtedness bounds unless Mr. Biden agrees to steep cuts successful national spending.

The president has said repeatedly helium volition not negociate implicit raising the limit, which the authorities reached this month. Economists pass that the state could acquisition fiscal situation and recession if lawmakers bash not rise it earlier the authorities runs retired of its quality to wage its bill

But Republicans truthful acold person not listed circumstantial demands for raising the bounds oregon released an authoritative budget. Mr. McCarthy and different apical Republicans person preferred to framework the statement successful much wide terms, accusing Democrats and Mr. Biden of out-of-control spending.

“I cognize the president said helium didn’t privation to person immoderate discussions, but I deliberation it’s precise important that our full authorities is designed to find compromise,” Mr. McCarthy told CBS’s “Face the Nation” connected Sunday. “I privation to find a tenable and a liable mode that we tin assistance the indebtedness ceiling, but instrumentality power of this runaway spending.”

At a quality league connected Tuesday, Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, suggested that House Republicans would outline their fund priorities successful April and criticized Mr. Biden’s stance.

“President Biden said, ‘Just springiness maine much money,’” Mr. Scalise said. “He conscionable wants to walk much money; said helium wouldn’t adjacent person a speech with Speaker McCarthy. That’s an untenable position.”

In the memo, Mr. Deese and Ms. Young said Mr. Biden would request that Mr. McCarthy “commit to the bedrock rule that the United States volition ne'er default connected its fiscal obligations.” They besides took purpose astatine immoderate aboriginal proposals successful the House that would adhd to the nation’s $31 trillion debt, including a measure passed this period that seeks to undercut an inaugural Mr. Biden championed for the Internal Revenue Service to ace down connected affluent taxation cheats.

Catie Edmondson contributed reporting.