WASHINGTON — Republican negotiators tasked with reaching an agreement with the White House to avoid a potentially disastrous debt default at the end of the month said Friday they had halted talks with the Biden administration because they are «not productive.»
«We decided to hit pause because it’s just not productive,» the rep said. Garret Graves, Republican of Los Angeles, who has been appointed by Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy to lead negotiations with White House staff.
He declined to comment on the details of the negotiations, but said the administration was being «unreasonable» as the clock ticks down on the June 1 deadline set by the Treasury Department to act or risk a calamitous breach of the US debt.
«Until people are willing to have reasonable conversations about how to move forward and do the right thing, then we’re not going to sit here and talk for ourselves,» Graves said, maintaining that the House had done its part by passing a bill. to increase the debt ceiling.
Part of the problem is that Republicans in the House of Representatives want to force through major spending cuts that President Joe Biden opposes and who die by reaching the Democratic-controlled Senate.
“Look, we can’t spend any more money next year,” McCarthy, a California Republican, said Friday, sounding pessimistic about the state of the negotiations. “We have to spend less than what we spent the previous year. It’s pretty easy.
He said there hasn’t been enough «movement» from the White House, adding that he had spoken to Graves on Friday but not the president.
A White House spokesman said Friday that «a responsible bipartisan budget deal remains possible if both sides negotiate in good faith and recognize that neither side will get everything it wants.»
«There are real differences between the parties on budget issues and the talks will be difficult,» the spokesperson added. «The President’s team is working hard to achieve a reasonable bipartisan solution that can be passed by the House and Senate.»
Democrats are reluctant to accept a spending cap lower than current levels, said a source familiar with the party’s stance. The party may prefer to maintain existing levels, even if it means a new spending deal fails and the government runs on autopilot through continued resolution.
There is a push, according to a Democratic source familiar with the negotiations, to pass a short-term spending resolution at the same time as a debt limit increase through early 2025. That would give McCarthy what he’s always wanted: change those two themes. together, while the White House and Democrats, who initially demanded a «clean» debt increase, can save face by claiming the bargain is over the budget.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., said earlier this week: «Avoiding default should not be contingent on passing the far-right partisan agenda of the Republican Party.»
Congress must act in the coming weeks or the US could exceed the debt ceiling as soon as June 1, the Treasury Department has warned.
Asked if talks would resume later on Friday or Saturday, Graves said: «I don’t know.»
A source familiar with the negotiations said hardline Conservatives were pleased with the pause.
“The fact that they are doing this shows that they are still willing to go,” the source said, adding that there were concerns that McCarthy’s team had not focused on their core problem.
«The cuts are what matter,» the source said.
Meanwhile, a GOP aide said conservatives «are privately furious» about how the talks have gone and that «Republicans are giving up their influence.»
On Thursday, the conservative Freedom Caucus issued a statement saying the debt bill passed by the House represents the formal position from the bloc of about 30 far-right House Republicans.
Former President Donald Trump, who has urged Republicans to let default take place if their demands are not met, reiterated that call on his social media website Friday.
«REPUBLICANS SHOULD NOT MAKE A DEBT LIMIT DEAL UNLESS THEY GET EVERYTHING THEY WANT (including the ‘kitchen sink’),» Trump, the leading Republican presidential candidate, wrote on Truth Social. «THAT’S THE WAY DEMOCRATS HAVE ALWAYS TREATED US. THEY DON’T BEND!!!»
Alexandra Cod, Monica Alba, Ali Vitali, jillian frankel, kristen welker and dareh gregorian contributed.