Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) insists “young staffers” in the White House are in the driver’s seat as the U.S. is facing a deadline to avoid defaulting on its debt.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Cruz claimed President Joe Biden cannot negotiate with Congressional Republicans over the debt ceiling.
“His mental faculties are too diminished right now to do what he did in 2011, to sit down and actually work together on a solution to the problems,” he said.
The Texas senator continued, “And what we’re left with is a bunch of young staffers in the White House — radical children — who are perfectly willing to risk a default on the debt because they have no appreciation of the chaos and misery and damage a default would do.”
Watch the video below:
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speculates that President Biden’s “mental faculties are too diminished” to negotiate with Republicans on the debt limit:
— The Recount (@therecount) May 3, 2023
“What we’re left with is a bunch of young staffers in the White House — radical children — who are perfectly willing to risk a default.” pic.twitter.com/Edt5n44s8J
Cruz’s comments come as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned the U.S. could default on its debt as soon as June 1 if the debt limit is not raised.
The debt ceiling is a limit on how much money the government can borrow to pay its bills.
In a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Yellen said, “It is impossible to predict with certainty the exact date when Treasury will be unable to pay the government’s bills.”
Last week, House Republicans passed a bill that would raise the debt limit. It would also cut spending and roll back key portions of Biden’s agenda.
The White House has said Biden would veto the bill if it passes the Senate.
The president has previously argued Congress should raise the debt ceiling without “conditions.”
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “The president said he’s happy to meet with McCarthy but not on whether or not the debt limit gets extended. That’s not negotiable.”
“We’ve been very clear on what we will negotiate about, which is appropriations and the budget. But we’re just — we just are going to be very clear that they must act and do their constitutional duty on this,” she added.
Biden is scheduled to meet with McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) about the debt ceiling on May 9. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) will also be in attendance.
A White House spokesperson told The Washington Post the president will use the meeting to “stress that Congress must take action to avoid default without conditions.”
Additionally, he will discuss a “separate process” to talk about the budget.
