Praising a rare example of bipartisan cooperation in Washington on Friday, President Biden said in his first primetime speech in the Oval Office that this week’s congressional budget deal would avert economic catastrophe from debt defaults. rice field.
This law, known as the Financial Responsibility Act, passed the Senate late thursday after pick up Broad support in the House of Representatives at the beginning of the week. The bill suspends the debt ceiling for two years and cuts spending.
Sitting resolutely behind his desk, Mr. Biden said he would soon sign the bill into law, and despite solid job growth (the economy added 339,000 jobs in May alone), He sought to reassure the American public that global concerns about whether America would be safe would not sidetrack him. I am ready to pay the bill.
“Having full faith and credit in America is vital to all the progress we’ve made over the past few years,” Biden said, adding, “Passing this budget deal was crucial. has never been higher.”
The speech was intended to further enhance Mr. Biden’s long-standing brand as a political consensus-maker who can compromise with his rivals. His advisers believe his reputation is crucial to his winning a second term in the White House.
But Biden also said in his nearly 12-minute remarks that he emphasized the administration’s achievements, which Republicans vehemently opposed, and that he would continue to push for Democrat agendas such as higher taxes on the wealthy and more spending to combat climate change. I swore. We will not hire veterans and cut medical and social safety nets.
“No one got everything they wanted, but the American people got what they needed,” he said. “From Social Security to Medicare to Medicaid to veterans to transformative investments in infrastructure and clean energy, we’ve defended key priorities,” he added.
Biden went out of his way to praise his arch-rival Republican rival, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“He and I, we and the team got along and got things done,” Biden said. “We were open, completely honest, and respectful of each other. We both acted with good faith.”
The president said he would sign the bill into law on Saturday, two days before the so-called X-date. the finance secretary said Governments will run out of cash to pay bills, and economists predict the situation will cause global uncertainty and turmoil.
Presidents often reserve the Oval Office to address the nation about wars, economic crises, and natural disasters.President Ronald Reagan Speech dark remarks It left after the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986.President Donald J. Trump Pandemic Restrictions Announced From the Oval Office in early 2020.
Biden’s decision to use the same venue on Friday highlights how close he believes the country is to economic catastrophe.
For weeks, Mr. Biden and lawmakers expressed optimism that they would reach a deal to avoid that outcome, but deep disagreements between Democrats and Republicans led to votes in both houses. Not only the country but also the world remained in suspense until it took place. .
The House of Representatives initially pushed back against McCarthy, citing conservative Republicans’ failure to secure further spending concessions from the president. Some threatened McCarthy’s position as a speaker, but backed down amid other Republicans’ strong support for McCarthy.
Some Democrats in the House and Senate have also resisted the compromise, but the White House wants to avoid provoking conservative opponents and making McCarthy’s job harder, and it’s set to vote this week. I made the decision to remain mostly silent.
Biden has said several times in the past that he hopes to find a way to avoid a similar crisis over the debt ceiling in the future. 14th Amendment It violates the Constitution, which states that US debt is “not questionable.”
Some legal experts believe the president could use the clause to bypass statutory debt limits, thereby avoiding regular clashes between the two parties. Mr Biden said “I want to find a basis to take to court to determine if the 14th Amendment can actually stop it,” he said last month.
On Sunday he said, “That’s another day.”
Before his Oval Office speech, Mr. Biden faced anger among some progressives within his party for agreeing too much with Republican demands during negotiations.
Some Democrats voted against the debt ceiling bill for the following reasons: new work requirements It imposes on some recipients of food aid. White House officials argued the bill would remove work requirements for others, including the homeless and veterans.
The president also angered some environmental activists by agreeing to: approve the construction of a natural gas pipeline Via West Virginia and Virginia. Critics say the 300-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline will traverse the Appalachian Trail, threatening wildlife and the environment.
For Biden, a deal to raise the debt ceiling would help him avoid hurting a strong economy, a key selling point of his campaign.
But his political advisers must also be concerned about maintaining the support of the voter coalition that put him in office in 2020, including in areas such as climate change and criminal justice. Some voters are disappointed with his performance.
