‘We’re Not Going To Sit Here And Talk To Ourselves’

Republican Congressman Garret Graves of Louisiana led the House delegation to negotiate with the White House over the debt ceiling debacle. On Friday, he led them back out again with no plans to resume discussions. “We’re not there. We’ve decided to press pause because it’s just not productive,” Graves said.

According to The Wall Street Journal, when asked if the talks would resume over the weekend, Graves told reporters, “I’m not sure right now.”

As House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s lead negotiator, Graves walked in armed with a proposed budget passed by the GOP-controlled House in April that represents where the Republicans are willing to start talks: increasing the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling while committing to long-term reductions in government spending to prevent the issue from recurring.

Graves explained, “The House passed a strong bill. It has great savings in it. And it’s responsible and it puts us on a path to bend the curve,” Graves said. “Until people are willing to have reasonable conversations about how you can actually move forward and do the right thing, then we’re not going to sit here and talk to ourselves.”

WSJ reported that a few minutes before White House advisor and Director Shalanda Young of the Office of Management and Budget had already left the meeting non-committal over whether they would resume with Ricchetti telling the reporters they’re “Playing by ear.”

Biden Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen again issued an “updated forecast,” that the U.S. default could come as quickly as June 1st without a Congressional deal.

Aware of the impasse between the Congressional GOP and President Joe Biden, Republican 2024 Presidential frontrunner and 45th President Donald J. Trump wrote on TruthSocial, “REPUBLICANS SHOULD NOT MAKE A DEAL ON THE DEBT CEILING UNLESS THEY GET EVERYTHING THEY WANT (Including the “kitchen sink”). THAT’S THE WAY THE DEMOCRATS HAVE ALWAYS DEALT WITH US. DO NOT FOLD!!!”

Trump’s view seems to reflect the sentiment of the American people. The Washington Examiner reports that an Economist/YouGov poll of 1500 adults revealed 33% would blame Biden for a default, 27% would blame House Republicans, 32% would blame both, and 8% would blame neither. The poll also found Speaker McCarthy’s popularity has surged to an all-time high since the debacle began.

In the same devastating poll, 55% of Americans don’t want Biden to run for President in 2024 and it showed Trump narrowly defeating the incumbent Democrat.