President Joe Biden is attempting to bring Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) into the debt ceiling negotiations in an effort to undermine Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA.), but McConnell insists that McCarthy be the top Republican in these negotiations.
McConnell, who negotiated with then-Vice President Joe Biden in 2011 to raise the debt limit, has repeatedly insisted that Biden and McCarthy must reach an agreement and that he stay behind in the negotiations.
McConnell cites the “divided government” and lack of a “solution in the the Senate,” as reasons who should stay out of the talks.
The Kentucky Republican has highlighted that the GOP has the House of Representatives while Democrats have the Presidency, noting that an agreement can only be worked out if the lower Congressional chamber and President meet.
McConnell insisted that his message for a meeting between the Biden and House leadership was clear.
However, Republicans believe that Biden is trying to bring McConnell into the room to dilute McCarthy’s influence in the negotiations, but predict that the strategy will not work.
Republican Senator John Cornyn (Texas) described Biden’s efforts as a hope he’d “suck Mitch into the Vortex,” because the President knows he can work with the Kentucky Republican.
However, Cornyn suggested that “Mitch is too smart to take the bait.”
Cornyn acknowledged that anything produced by the Senate to overcome the Debt Ceiling would be “DOA” dead on arrival when it reaches the House of Representatives
Cornyn added that Democrats were “surprised” by McCarthy’s ability to pass his deficit reduction bill through that House, an outcome that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) previously predicted the Speaker would not have enough support to carry out.
“They’re kind of eating their words,” Cornyn declared, referring to Democrats underestimating McCarthy.
