Biden Says Republican Minority — Not the Democratic Majority — Will Decide Future of US Debt: ‘That’s Up to Mitch McConnell’

Rudy TakalaOct 4th, 2021, 2:36 pm
 

President Joe Biden said Monday the fate of the federal debt ceiling would be determined by the Republican minority in Congress — not by his own Democratic Party’s majority.

“Can you guarantee the U.S. will not reach the debt ceiling, that that will not happen?” a reporter asked Biden during a press conference at the White House. Biden replied that in his view, the issue depended on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

“No, I can’t,” the president said. “That’s up to Mitch McConnell.”

The reporter followed up by asking if it was possible the U.S. would fail to “pay its debts.” Biden replied, “I can’t believe that that will be the end result, because the consequence is so dire. I don’t believe that. But can I guarantee it? If I could, I would, but I can’t.”

Democrats are seeking to raise the $28.4 trillion U.S. debt ceiling before the federal government defaults on its debt on Oct. 18, but they have sought to tie it to an enormous $3.5 trillion spending plan that Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) oppose. Their opposition puts Democrats at least two votes shy of the 50 they need to pass a bill in the Senate.

Critical viewers were quick to point out the problem with Biden’s statement.

Watch above via CBSN.

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