Associated Press
Work requirements for federal food aid recipients have emerged as a final sticking point in negotiations over the looming debt crisis, even as President Joe Biden said Friday that a deal is “very close.”
Biden’s optimism came as the deadline for a potentially catastrophic default was pushed back to June 5 and seemed likely to drag negotiations between the White House and Republicans over raising the debt ceiling into another frustrating week. Both sides have suggested one of the main holdups is a GOP effort to boost work requirements for recipients of food stamps and other federal aid programs, a longtime Republican goal Democrats have strenuously opposed.
Even as they came closer to a framework on spending, each side seemed dug in on the work requirements. White House spokesman Andrew Bates called the GOP proposals “cruel and senseless” and said Biden and Democrats would stand against them.
Louisiana Rep. Garret Graves, one of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s negotiators, was blunt when asked if Republicans might relent on the issue: “Hell no, not a chance,” he said.
The later “ X-date,” laid out in a letter from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, set the risk of a devastating default four days beyond an earlier estimate. Still, Americans and the world uneasily watched the negotiating brinkmanship that could throw the U.S. economy into chaos and sap world confidence in the nation’s leadership.
Yet Biden was upbeat as he left for the Memorial Day weekend at Camp David, declaring, “It’s very close, and I’m optimistic.”
With Republicans at the Capitol talking with Biden’s team at the White House, the president said: “There’s a negotiation going on. I’m hopeful we’ll know by tonight whether we’re going to be able to have a deal.” But a deal had not come together when McCarthy left the Capitol Friday evening.
2 comments
Dont Say FLA
May 27, 2023 at 4:21 pm
If the debt ceiling doesn’t get raised due to the GOP’s so-called “work requirements” for WIC recipients, what is the outcome of that?
The outcome is this: Due to the GOP crashing the world economy, there would be innumerably more people on WIC, and still without any so-called “work requirement.”
Does Kevin McCarthy really believe he has some kind of bargaining chip here?
Kevin LOL McCarthy is apparently just as unsophisticated as those Disney Drama Queens, Ron and Casey Anthony DeSantis.
Marjorie Taylor Green is going to, you know, take McCarthy’s Speaker position if he doesn’t get smart, and get smart, like, real quick like.
Earl Pitts American
May 27, 2023 at 9:32 pm
Good evening America,
Dont worry the debt thing is going to be addressed soon as 8iden says. This was just a test to see how far the Republicans in the House could be pushed. They have already made araingements for the biggest voting block in our country to receive their 1st of June Socisl Security checks which means both the Republicans and Democrats have a basic way forward. So if any group can chalk up a win its not the D’s or the R’s its American’s Senior Citizens.
Now it comes down to the blaim game to see who can trash the other side most effectively. Its a dangerous political game to play but both sides are at least aware they will be on the hot seat with the Senior Citizen voting block and both sides will now come to an agreemrnt of sorts.
Basically we have pretty much of a shift now to which side can trash the other side the best and rack up points in the blame game.
And I, Earl Pitts American see it as both sides backing down enough to go forward but neither side chalking up any sort of political advantage.
Stupid Politicans.
But at least they showed some restraint right at the edge of the cliff. So theres that.
Now lets move forward to trashing each other while the Republicans dick around in their upcoming debate season.
Our politicians honestly on both sides are pretty much as they have been for 200 years. Drama Queens.
Thank you America,
Earl Pitts American
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