US President Joe Biden has sharply criticized “MAGA” Republicans for their refusal to vote on a higher federal debt ceiling, signaling there will be little concession from the White House in a May 9 meeting with Congressional leaders.
Republicans are “divided” over the debt ceiling, Biden said, speaking ahead of a White House meeting on US investment, and so-called MAGA Republicans are pushing “draconian” budget cuts.
MAGA is the acronym for former President Donald Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again”.
“The last thing this country needs is a manufactured crisis,” he said.
Biden has criticized House Republicans for threatening not to raise the debt limit unless Biden and Democrats agree to sharp cuts in the next budget. “The two are totally independent. Whether you pay off the debt or not, it has nothing to do with your budget,” he said.
Republicans and Democrats should “debate our vision of the future” in front of the American people, he said.
The May 9 meeting at the White House with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy; Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell; and leading Democrats, kicks off a frantic few weeks of negotiating before the US runs out of cash to pay its bills on June 1st.
