For the first time since becoming House speaker, California Republican Kevin McCarthy met Wednesday with President Biden to discuss how to avoid a default on the U.S. debt.
The two men, who spoke for about an an hour, did not walk away with a solution, but McCarthy told reporters outside the White House that the discussion was productive and that he looks forward to speaking with Biden again. He added that he hopes they can reconcile their differences "long before the deadline" so they can get to work on other issues.
But speaking to reporters later on Capitol Hill, McCarthy offered more specifics, saying he would not agree to a "clean" bill that would only raise the debt ceiling without spending cuts attached.
"That's not gonna happen. We're not just gonna keep spending and just raise the limit on our credit card, we're gonna do something different," he said.
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While McCarthy continued to characterize the meeting with Biden as a "good discussion," he said that both he and the president were very straightforward and laid out "different perspectives."
"I'm more than willing to sit down and talk to him and work with him on how we change this together," he said.
In a statement after the meeting, the White House described the discussion as "frank and straightforward" while reiterating its stance that the responsibility of ensuring the U.S. doesn't default on its debts falls to leaders on all sides and is "not negotiable or conditional."
Biden said he welcomes discussions about government spending and the national debt, separate from each other.
The federal government reached its $31.4 trillion debt limit earlier this month, and since then the Treasury Department has been taking "extraordinary measures" to ensure the country pays its bills and avoids a default. But those measures could be exhausted as early as June, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says.
That means Congress has to act, by either raising or suspending the debt limit. Failing to do so would mean an unprecedented and potentially catastrophic default on U.S. debt.
U.S. hits its debt limit and now risks defaulting on its bills
Economy
U.S. hits its debt limit and now risks defaulting on its bills
The White House has consistently said lifting the ceiling is not up for negotiation. Biden said earlier this month that a default would be "a calamity that exceeds anything that's ever happened financially in the United States."
But to win over conservatives in his bid for the speakership, McCarthy agreed that raising the debt ceiling would come with spending cuts.
"Think about the budgets, it's all discretionary, there's trillions of dollars there, so there's a lot of places," McCarthy told NPR before the afternoon meeting.
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But he wouldn't get specific.
"I'm not going to negotiate with the press, I'm going to negotiate with the president himself," McCarthy said.
McCarthy said last week that he hopes to find "common ground" with Biden to eliminate "wasteful" government spending.
"I want to look the president in the eye and tell me there's not $1 of wasteful spending and government. Who believes that? The American public doesn't believe that. Our whole government is designed to have compromise," McCarthy said. "For the president to say he wouldn't even negotiate, that's irresponsible."
Why we have a debt ceiling, and why this trip to the brink may be different
Politics
Why we have a debt ceiling, and why this trip to the brink may be different
On Tuesday, Biden told reporters McCarthy is a "decent man" but is catering to the far-right wing of his party on this issue.
"This is not your father's Republican Party," Biden said. "I mean it, this is a different breed of cat."
Democrats point out that Republican lawmakers voted to lift the debt ceiling three times under former President Donald Trump -- and argue that the health of the economy should not be used as a bargaining chip.
(Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
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(Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
https://www.npr.org/2023/02/01/11529348 ... ng-meeting
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
We're not just gonna keep spending and just raise the limit on our credit card, we're gonna do something different{/quote]
I will believe that when I see it.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
GuideToACrazyWorld wrote: ↑Thu Feb 02, 2023 3:06 amHe has no policy really, this is about pleasing the crazy people..they spent a lot when Trump was in power...it's all talk as you say...We're not just gonna keep spending and just raise the limit on our credit card, we're gonna do something different{/quote]
I will believe that when I see it.
I thought the debt ceiling was about paying for things we already decided to do anyway? He is risking our international standing and global disarray for those idiots...What he is talking about is not part of this, it is a game and a mean one at that
This stuff is just really depressing me, don't know if I can stand this kind of crap for years...
Not that I care about minuscule government myself anyway...but, the way they are acting is just beyond the pale...sigh
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
I have no idea why this won't post right, I gave up...lol
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Okay, let's start with this: All congresscritters' salaries will be eliminated.GuideToACrazyWorld wrote: ↑Thu Feb 02, 2023 3:05 amMcCarthy said last week that he hopes to find "common ground" with Biden to eliminate "wasteful" government spending.
Then we can move on to this: All subsidies to oil companies are cancelled.
Another one they won't like: Cut all subsidies to Israel. Let them defend themselves. It's not like they don't have money.
This one will make them turn green: Cut funding for the border guards, both south and north. It's not like we're stopping those Canadians from shopping at our outlet stores anyway.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
It is in a sense. But it also allows more spending, which then in turn necessitates another debt ceiling increase. I'm all for less spending in government, or at least more responsible sending, but this debt ceiling game is all theater. and I just don't have the stomach for it anymore.Z is for Zangie wrote: ↑Thu Feb 02, 2023 3:36 amI thought the debt ceiling was about paying for things we already decided to do anyway? He is risking our international standing and global disarray for those idiots...What he is talking about is not part of this, it is a game and a mean one at that
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Me either.GuideToACrazyWorld wrote: ↑Thu Feb 02, 2023 4:30 pmthis debt ceiling game is all theater. and I just don't have the stomach for it anymore.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Hahahahaha! MTG is an utter incompetent moron. You don't have to listen to the analysis which is by a hard core left-wing pundit, but the actual footage that begins the video is amazing.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
So hardcore my work filters are blocking the video.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Really? It's just a YouTube video. MTG has been all over the mainstream news about this hilariously dumb incident. The essentials of the video is this: MTG is given the opportunity to question a guy in the investigation into the use of Covid funds. Her first question is how much of that money was used to fund CRT. The guy is confused and asks her what CRT is. She explains it as most right wing nut-jobs do, then claims that a single elementary school in Illinois was given 5+ billion dollars to fund it. Then she asks how much of the Covid funds were used for Drag Queen Story Time, which has recently been in the news. The guy is utterly baffled by her questions, and she sounds like someone on a bad acid trip. Finally she shuts up and relinquishes the rest of her time.GuideToACrazyWorld wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 4:30 pmSo hardcore my work filters are blocking the video.
What I gather from the whole incident is that MTG is actually incredibly stupid, and really does buy into all the RWNJ conspiracy theory garbage. Some of them are using it for political advantage, but she really believes it.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Yeah, specific youtube videos get filtered. I'll try to remember to look at it when I get home.
One of the categories is, "extremist groups" It's kind of funny what gets caught up in that sometimes.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
I wouldn't call this guy "extremist" by any measure. He's a clean cut well spoken young man in the best fitting suit I've ever seen, and his show is fairly rational if left-biased. You'd have a hard time pointing out any outright lies he tells (Unlike various right-wing pundits.) But he's not above calling his opposite numbers names, and much of what he says has a distinct lean.GuideToACrazyWorld wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 8:34 pmOne of the categories is, "extremist groups" It's kind of funny what gets caught up in that sometimes.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Like I said weird things end up in the category. I've also had fishing websites blocked because they "sale or promote weapons"
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Okay, finally watched it.
Making Greene look stupid isn't really an accomplishment. She's an idiot.
BTC is also wrong though, or he's playing an intentional word game. No one is teaching kids the intricacies of Critical race theory in secondary school, but what they are teaching is components of critical race theory (Like white privilege and intersectionality) presented as fact. Which is even worse and out right dishonest.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Don't you think white privilege exists?
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
She is. But I find it entertaining watching her crash and burn.GuideToACrazyWorld wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:56 amMaking Greene look stupid isn't really an accomplishment. She's an idiot.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
I would say that depends on what you mean by white privilege. There is the academic idea that is a discussion of how different races are treated differently as an aggregate, then there is the idea the extending of that idea to individual people. The former is real, and an important discussion, the ladder is a complete misunderstanding of statistics. There are also areas in which other races are afforded privileged, which is often either glossed over or completely ignored in lay conversations of the subject. I would say it's a complex and nuanced issue and a valuable point for adult discussion. It's a complex a nuanced topic, and I don't hink it's an appropriate one for elementary school children. I do think it's a worth while point of discussion at the high school and college level, but only if it's used as a topic of discussion and not an indoctrination point. Far to often it's used as an indisputable fact, and a lot of broad reaching claims are attached to it in a logically inconsistent way. I don't think that is good for any one.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
So you like to listen to her talk...
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Ha, even guys who don't like her politics are often attracted to her looks...lol
same with AOC...
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Guys find Greene attractive?Z is for Zangie wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:50 amHa, even guys who don't like her politics are often attracted to her looks...lol
AOC I can understand, but Greene?
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Yeah , I figure it must be the blonde hair...lol..I don't think she is that attractive, but, I am not a guy...GuideToACrazyWorld wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:52 amGuys find Greene attractive?Z is for Zangie wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:50 amHa, even guys who don't like her politics are often attracted to her looks...lol
AOC I can understand, but Greene?
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Yeah I don't get it at all.Z is for Zangie wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:55 amYeah , I figure it must be the blonde hair...lol..I don't think she is that attractive, but, I am not a guy...
AOC isn't as attractive as some people make her out to be. She is doable, but I'd need a ball gag for sure.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
Ha ha..shame on you...teehee...( I think some men just see her as exotic, and that video where she was dancing gets them going also...lol)GuideToACrazyWorld wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 7:00 amYeah I don't get it at all.Z is for Zangie wrote: ↑Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:55 amYeah , I figure it must be the blonde hair...lol..I don't think she is that attractive, but, I am not a guy...
AOC isn't as attractive as some people make her out to be. She is doable, but I'd need a ball gag for sure.
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Re: (Thursday PO) After meeting with Biden, McCarthy says he won't agree to clean debt ceiling increase
To be clear the ball gag isn't about her politics, it's about her condescending self-righteousness.