House Democrat: President Joe Biden 'not gonna be hostage' to Kevin McCarthy’s spending cuts

30 April 2023

On Sunday's edition of Face the Nation, United States Representative Ro Khanna (D-California) pushed back against arguments that President Joe Biden refusing to sign into law the massive spending cuts that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calfornia) included in last week's bill to lift the Treasury Department's borrowing cap is endangering the economy.

CBS News moderator Margaret Brennan noted that "the Fed is predicting a mild recession is ahead of us. The president has overseen the highest inflation that we have seen in decades in this country. Whether he calls it or not, he's overseeing it. You have all these looming issues and now you have the standoff over the debt ceiling. It is not a sustainable position for the White House to say they're not gonna negotiate with Republicans, is it?"

Khanna declined the bait, opting instead to remind Brennan and her viewers how the GOP has dealt with the debt ceiling in the not-so-distant past.

"Well, here's what's sustainable. They, the Republicans should do what I did under Donald Trump, and that's pay your bills. It's patriotic to pay your bills. Look, if you're a family, you have credit card debt..." Khanna began.

"It sounds like you're agreeing. It's not a sustainable position," Brennan interrupted.

"Well, I, I think we should pay the bills and then negotiate, and we should negotiate on deficit reduction. The last person to leave a surplus was Bill Clinton. I'll tell you how we lower the, the debt. Let's repeal the Trump, Trump tax cuts. Let, let's repeal some of the Bush tax cuts for the very wealthy. Let's not have all these overseas wars. I mean, the, the Democrats have a plan and let's raise taxes on the top wealthy. But before we get there, we pay our bills. If you're a family, you have a credit card debt. Who says, 'let's not pay the bill?'" Knanna retorted.

"But the president was saying, 'Kevin McCarthy, pass something or, or at least put out a plan and I'll talk to you now.' He's passed something and the president says he still will not engage with him. I understand the back and forth, but the political cost and the economic one is very real here, and it will stick to the president," Brennan responded.

"Well, the president's saying he's not gonna be hostage in having veterans' cuts on healthcare, in having cuts on K through twelve education, in having cuts on food stamps, in having cuts on manufacturing to just pay our bills. He's saying, 'we can discuss that, we can negotiate, but first pay your bills,'" Khanna said, adding that "I think the, I think Senator [Mitch] McConnell [R-Kentucky] understands this, and I think the president will sit down with Senator McConnell. He knows that we can't default."

Brennan was less optimistic.

"You think that's the back channel that's gonna figure this out?" she wondered.

"That, that's what I said. Or Kevin McCarthy's gotta come without twenty-two percent cuts on veterans' benefits," Khanna replied.

"Well," Brennan concluded, "we will see."

Watch below or at this link.

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