Rep. Don Bacon (R-NB) thinks both political parties should be making effort to meet halfway to treat the “real threat” of a national debt default seriously.
Bacon said in a Sunday interview on ABC News’ “This Week” that controlling reckless spending is part of the mission Republicans want to tackle as they continue the transition into taking control of the lower chamber.
KEVIN MCCARTHY SAYS BIDEN DOCUMENTS DISCOVERY HIGHLIGHTS ‘HYPOCRISY’ IN GOVERNMENT
“I think it is a real threat that both sides have to take serious,” Bacon said. “So, when President Biden says he’s just going to refuse to negotiate with Republicans on any concessions, I don’t think that’s right either.”
Treasury Department Secretary Janet Yellen announced last week that the United States will hit the federal debt limit next week, requiring the department to take “extraordinary measures” to prevent a default on the $31.4 trillion national debt.
Extraordinary measures could refer to shifting money between accounts to allow the Treasury to pay incoming bills without taking out new debt. However, the Treasury will only have a few months before the measures are exhausted, with temporary actions only sufficient to carry the nation through early June.
Bacon said Republicans need to remember that, with their four-seat majority in the House and Democratic one-seat majority in the Senate, they cannot expect “to get everything we want either.”
Nati Harnik/AP
“I want our side to negotiate with the Democrats in good faith,” Bacon said. “But, President Biden has to also negotiate, he can’t say he refuses to negotiate, that’s a non-starter, as well.”
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy said during his interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo on Sunday that he believes its important to “look at how we got here” when reviewing the national debt and discretionary spending by Democrats.
McCarthy said he told Biden in their first conversation since he became speaker that he wants to sit and discuss the process and priorities Republicans have in passing the debt limit, and find a middle ground.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“Let’s sit down together. Let’s look at the places that we can change our behavior,” McCarthy said of his conversation with the president. “I believe we can sit down with anybody who wants to work together. I believe this president could be that person.”
