Rep. Jamaal Bowman (DN.Y.) called on President Joe Biden not to negotiate with Republicans as he compared them to “economic terrorists” amid debt ceiling negotiations on Thursday.
Bowman’s comments come as a number of Democrats expressed frustration with the party’s handling of the debt ceiling as House Republicans and White House negotiators continue talks to avoid a default. unprecedented payment from the government.
Bowman told CNN’s Manu Raju that he was “very frustrated” with the debt ceiling discussions before criticizing the president’s approach to Republican demands.
“I called on the president to invoke the 14th Amendment and strike a coin and not negotiate with the hostage takers,” Bowman said, referring — in part — to a plan to prevent a default by striking a $1 trillion coin for the Treasury to pay. excluding debts.
“I mean, we don’t negotiate with the terrorists on a global scale – why are we going to negotiate with the economic terrorists here who are the Republican Party?”
(H/T Mediaite)
There would have been signs that the two sides were making progress on the debt ceiling before June 1, the first date the government will not be able to pay its bills without a debt ceiling increase, according to the secretary. at the Treasury Janet Yellen.
Republicans have demanded spending cuts — as well as changes to Social Security and Medicare programs — before a deal with the White House.
The White House has offered to “cut” $10 billion from its $80 billion increase in funding for the Internal Revenue Service to “essentially shift [the money] discretionary non-defense spending…to avoid further cuts to programs like education and environmental protection,” according to the New York Times.
Bowman has likened Republicans to “economic terrorists” in recent weeks over their demands, calling on the president to use executive branch action to avoid a default last week.
“Republicans raised the debt ceiling under Trump, but now they’re threatening to blow up the economy if we don’t go along with their cruel plan to punish vulnerable families,” Bowman wrote in a tweet last week.
“This is economic terrorism, and we cannot give in.”