Debt ceiling negotiations were looking bleak Saturday, as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters that he believed they would halt until President Joe Biden returns from the G7 Summit in Japan.
If lawmakers fail to raise the debt limit by the June 1 deadline, they could risk their paychecks. This week, U.S. Representatives Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) introduced a bipartisan bill that would block Congress members from pay in the event of a government shutdown.
“If Congress can’t fulfill basic obligations tied to the strength and security of our country, lawmakers should not be rewarded with our salaries until we do our jobs,” said Spanberger. “Working Americans get it – if you don’t do your job, you don’t get paid.”
In a May 1 letter, U.S. treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the country would be unable to continue to satisfy all of the government’s obligations by early June. McCarthy said Saturday in a tweet that “the White House is moving backward in negotiations,” and blamed the “socialist” wing of the Democratic party. He said that discussion won’t move forward until Biden is back in the U.S. Sunday, according to CNBC.
“President Biden has made clear for weeks that Congress must act to prevent default. Earlier this week, the President met with the four Congressional leaders at the White House, where they agreed to move forward on a bipartisan budget framework,” said a Saturday press release from the White House. “Following that meeting, the President assigned an experienced negotiating team and directed them to act in good faith to reach an agreement. But now, Republicans are taking the economy hostage and pushing us to the brink of default, which could cost millions of jobs and tip the country into recession after two years of steady job and wage growth.”
White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt said that the GOP’s “watered down version of their extreme budget proposal,” would eliminate 100,000 jobs for teachers and support staff, cut 2,000 law enforcement positions and could put health care coverage at risk. At the same time, it would “extend tax breaks for the wealthiest and corporations,” he added.
“Any serious budget negotiation must include discussion both of spending and of revenues, but Republicans have refused to discuss revenue,” said LaBolt. “President Biden has lowered the deficit by $1.7 trillion in his first two years in office with this balanced approach and proposed a budget that would cut the deficit by an additional $3 trillion. Republicans, however, are focused on pulling the rug out from under hardworking Americans instead of considering the President’s proposal to cut wasteful spending and cut the deficit by eliminating subsidies for oil and gas companies and pharma and asking the wealthiest to pay their fair share.”
If passed, the Specifically, “No Pay for Congress During Default or Shutdown Act” would require congressional payroll administrators to withhold lawmakers’ paychecks if the public debt limit is reached or a lapse in federal government funding begins. Withheld payments would be released at the end of the 118th Congress.
“Members of Congress promise to fight for their constituents in Washington, and should not be paid a taxpayer-funded salary if they cannot deliver on that promise,” said Fitzpatrick. “Our bipartisan legislation is a no-brainer – lawmakers should not be paid if we irresponsibly default on our nation’s debt.”
Related
Related
