Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, is pictured on the Capitol in Salt Lake Metropolis on Friday, April 14, 2023. Lee views President Joe Biden’s provide of accelerating the debt restrict earlier than addressing the GOP precedence of federal authorities spending cuts as disingenuous. Spenser Heaps, Deseret Information
Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee stated he thinks President Joe Biden’s provide to take a look at the GOP’s proposed spending cuts, however solely after they move a condition-free debt restrict enhance, is disingenuous.
“Look, it is a means for the White Home to say, ‘heads we win, tails you lose.’ We’re not going to fall for that,” Lee informed Fox Information anchor Harris Faulkner on Wednesday.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Monday that the nation might default on its debt funds for the primary time in historical past if the debt ceiling shouldn't be raised by June 1.
The GOP-controlled Home handed a debt ceiling enhance final week that's tied to just about $5 trillion in authorities price range cuts over the subsequent 10 years. However Biden promised to veto it and the Democratic majority within the Senate has thus far declined to think about the Republican invoice, saying authorities spending must be handled individually.
Lee stated the Home Republicans handed a “actually good compromise” and that they're merely following the sample then-Sen. Biden advocated for within the early Nineteen Eighties, of tackling authorities spending and the debt restrict on the similar time.
A rising variety of Senate Republicans are ready to oppose advancing any debt ceiling laws that lacks important spending management measures, like these included within the Home invoice. pic.twitter.com/tpKcB8ouHA
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) Might 3, 2023
Democratic Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer of New York has filed a invoice to move a debt restrict enhance with out spending reforms, nevertheless it doesn’t seem he has the votes to get it by means of the Senate.
Within the Senate, a debt ceiling enhance wants 60 votes, however with solely a 51-seat majority, he’ll want not less than 9 Republican votes and all the Democrats. Nonetheless, California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s in poor health well being may proceed to preclude her from voting. Democratic centrist Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia has urged Biden to barter with the GOP, and unbiased Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema has signaled the identical, in accordance to experiences.
Any hope the votes Biden wants will come from Senate Republicans seems uncertain. Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, who helped Biden move his landmark infrastructure invoice final 12 months, is backing Home Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
When Politico just lately requested Romney how he’d vote on Schumer’s debt ceiling invoice, he stated, “I’m supporting the Home provision.”
Lee informed Fox Information he has a “rising checklist” of Republicans within the Senate who've signed on to his letter indicating they won't settle for Biden’s calls for. So long as 41 senators again the Home’s negotiating place, Biden’s most well-liked clear debt ceiling choice seems useless.
As time ticks nearer to the nation’s debt default “x-date,” Lee stated Biden is “taking part in rooster with the American economic system.”
The New York Instances reported Tuesday that Biden staffers have quietly been contemplating a constitutional problem to the debt restrict that might enable the White Home to avoid Congress and lift the debt ceiling unilaterally.
The speculation that a debt ceiling is unconstitutional has been debated at size by authorized students however by no means examined in court docket.
On a possible authorized problem, Lee stated it's “utter science fiction fantasy and it’s harmful. They’re incorrect. They know they’re incorrect, however in addition they know they’re shedding the legislative debate, as a result of the American persons are demanding higher as they endure below the yoke of inflation.”
Biden is scheduled to satisfy with McCarthy subsequent Monday on the White Home to debate fiscal coverage.