GOP lawmakers insist on spending cuts in debt limit talks
WASHINGTON — House Republicans “won’t budge” on demands for federal spending cuts in return for agreeing to lift the debt ceiling and avoid a U.S. payment default, GOP Rep. James Comer said.
As the federal government moved closer to breaching its statutory debt limit, lawmakers Sunday mostly talked past each other: Republicans renewed demands for cuts, and Democrats insisted the government be allowed to honor commitments made by previous Congresses.
Republicans who gained control of the House in the U.S. midterm election “campaigned on the the fact that we were going to be serious about spending cuts,” Comer said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
The Democratic-led Senate “is going to have to recognize the fact that we’re not going to budge until we see meaningful reform with respect to spending,” Comer said..
California Rep. Ro Khanna typified the Democratic response, saying Republicans ought to focus their budget goals on future spending bills rather than refusing to raise the debt limit.
“If you want a debate about future spending — do we want to have defense cuts, do we want to have spending cuts? — that’s a legitimate debate,” said Khanna, who also appeared on CNN. “But you don’t debate whether you pay your debts. You don’t debate the prestige of the United States.”
Prospective talks on raising the debt ceiling are quickly emerging as a potential global flashpoint that could threaten the stability of financial markets.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said last week the department will begin taking special accounting maneuvers Thursday to avoid breaching the debt limit and urged lawmakers to boost the ceiling to avert a U.S. default.
Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican who was forced to negotiate with ultraconservatives in his own party before being elected House speaker this month, said Democrats were being “arrogant” by declaring they would not accept any cuts, but expressed optimism he could negotiate with Biden.