President Joe Biden met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to discuss the looming deadline to increase the nation's borrowing authority to avoid defaulting on the national debt. Biden warned Republicans not to hold the economy hostage to their budget-cutting demands, while McCarthy insisted that a debt ceiling hike must be tied to budget cuts. The parties are still in discussions to reach an agreement before the deadline, or else the U.S. could default on its debt with serious economic consequences.
Posts tagged as “Joe Biden”
Senator Dianne Feinstein Returns to the Senate After Nearly Three-Month Absence Due to Health Issues
Senator Dianne Feinstein Returns to the Senate After Nearly Three-Month Absence Due to Health Issues
Senator Dianne Feinstein is returning to the Senate after a three-month absence due to health issues. Her absence has complicated Democratic efforts to pass legislation and confirm President Joe Biden's nominees, as her absence has caused a single-seat majority in the Senate to become a 10-10 stalemate. Feinstein, who has served in the Senate since 1992, is expected to cast her first recorded vote since February 16th as soon as Tuesday night.
The National Association of Government Employees (NAGE) has filed a lawsuit against Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts, seeking an injunction to prevent the government from defaulting on its debts due to the current debt limit. The lawsuit claims that the union’s workers are “at immediate and imminent risk of layoff or furlough” if a deal is not reached to increase the government’s borrowing limit. NAGE President David J. Holway said the debt limit “puts our members’ jobs and livelihoods at risk” and the union is “fighting to protect the economic security of our members and their families.”
President Joe Biden has expressed his support for striking Hollywood writers, calling for a “fair deal” for them as soon as possible. The Writers Guild of America is leading the strike, which began last Tuesday, demanding higher pay for streaming services, better health care coverage, and an end to the practice of “firing and rehiring” writers. Biden’s remarks on Monday were his first public comments on the strike, and his support of the writers is a welcome sign for those on the picket lines.
President Joe Biden is meeting with the top four members of Congress to negotiate a resolution to the looming debt ceiling crisis. Republicans want spending cuts in exchange for raising the borrowing limit, while Democrats, including Mr. Biden, want to increase the debt limit without conditions. The White House has refused to negotiate over the debt ceiling itself, but both sides agree a resolution is essential to avoid the economic calamity of a default.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that if the White House is forced to cite the 14th Amendment to raise the debt ceiling, it could lead to a "constitutional crisis". This week marks a defining challenge for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as he attempts to strike a deal with President Biden to avert an unprecedented debt default. Yellen urged Congress to act quickly and responsibly to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a potential global economic crisis.
The White House is taking action to avoid a catastrophic default on the nation's debt by targeting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other GOP House members in competitive districts. They are hoping to pass a bill that will benefit veterans and the economy, but it remains to be seen if the President's strategy will be successful. The proposed bill is a $2 trillion infrastructure plan funded by raising the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, while Republicans have proposed a $568 billion counteroffer.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned of an economic "calamity" if Congress does not raise the nation's borrowing limit, adding urgency to a meeting between President Joe Biden and congressional leaders. Yellen said a default could cause a "severe" economic downturn with a "ripple effect" felt around the world, and that the government would have to choose between paying Social Security benefits, military salaries, or interest on the debt.