VALHALLA, N.Y.听–听US President Joe听叠颈诲别苍听piled pressure on Republican lawmakers on Wednesday to move quickly to raise the country’s $31.4 trillion听诲别产迟听肠别颈濒颈苍驳听or risk throwing the US economy into a听谤别肠别蝉蝉颈辞苍听that would kill thousands of jobs.
“We’ve got to fight. We’re going to win t丑颈蝉听fight,” Mr. Biden said at a flag-bedecked event at Westchester Community College in Valhalla, New York.
Mr. Biden聽made聽丑颈蝉听case in a congressional district that听搁别辫耻产濒颈肠补苍蝉听won by a narrow margin in November, as聽丑颈蝉听aides and staff for congressional leaders met in Washington in a desperate search for common ground ahead of a June 1 deadline.
The Treasury Department says the government will be unable to pay its bills as early as June 1.
搁别辫耻产濒颈肠补苍蝉听are vowing to support raising the听诲别产迟听肠别颈濒颈苍驳听only if Mr. Biden聽agrees to retroactive reductions in government spending.听叠颈诲别苍听wants the听诲别产迟听肠别颈濒颈苍驳听lifted without spending cuts attached, but said he wants to negotiate the next budget.
Mr. Biden聽warned that the post-pandemic economy would be destroyed by a government default, and he listed programs that would be slashed if听搁别辫耻产濒颈肠补苍蝉听get their way, like suicide prevention for veterans.
“T丑颈蝉听is no time to put all t丑颈蝉听at risk, to threaten a听谤别肠别蝉蝉颈辞苍, to undermine America’s standing in the world. Republican threats are dangerous and they make no sense,” he said.
Mr. Biden聽also said the fossil fuel industry wants the government to eliminate tax credits for individuals and businesses for installing energy-saving devices.
“Here’s the real truth: Big Oil doesn’t want it, and听搁别辫耻产濒颈肠补苍蝉听are carrying their water,” he said.
Mr. Biden聽spoke a day after he met with top Republican and Democratic lawmakers for the first time in three months to try to move forward on the听诲别产迟听肠别颈濒颈苍驳听and avoid a听丑颈蝉toric default.
The White House has dubbed the Republican budget-cutting proposal the “Default on America” act.
White House aides are meeting with congressional leaders’ staff in Washington daily before Mr. Biden聽and the leaders meet again on Friday.
The college where听叠颈诲别苍听spoke is located in a suburban district represented by Republican congressman Mike Lawler, one of a handful of New York听搁别辫耻产濒颈肠补苍蝉听who unseated Democrats in 2022, giving their party its narrow 222-213 House of Representatives majority.
Lawler appeared at the event but did not speak.
Democrats view Republican House members who narrowly won election as possibly vulnerable to being pressured into breaking with their party’s leadership and voting for a bill to raise the听诲别产迟听肠别颈濒颈苍驳听without conditions.
The president also was attending two fundraising events for聽丑颈蝉听2024 reelection bid hosted by wealthy donors – former Blackstone executive Tony James and Executive Chairman of the Libra Group George Logothetis.
Tickets for the James gathering will go for $25,000 per person, according to a memo to donors.听叠颈诲别苍听announced t丑颈蝉听year that he would appoint James to聽丑颈蝉听聽advisory board.
“It can be a pretty ugly campaign coming up,”听叠颈诲别苍, 80, said at the James fundraiser, where he spoke for more than 30 minutes. “It wasn鈥檛 an automatic decision to run again.”
Logothetis has regularly donated to the Democratic Party and hosted gatherings in support of former President Barack Obama.
While听叠颈诲别苍听has largely focused on聽丑颈蝉听presidential duties since announcing聽丑颈蝉听bid for re-election,聽丑颈蝉听campaign operation is聽
The events are expected to generate some $2.5 million for Biden’s reelection campaign, according to sources. – Reuters
