Biden to meet with congressional leaders on debt ceiling as default looms
NBCMAY 2023
The Spin
Republican narrative
Before former Pres. Obama ended the practice of respectfully negotiating debt ceiling increases in 2011, both parties understood the importance of compromise when making such significant economic decisions. Biden has been at the mercy of his party's progressive wing since his inauguration, which is why he continues to reject calls for common sense spending cuts and even threatened to use Section Four of the 14th Amendment — which relates to paying back Civil War debts — if he doesn't get his radical wishes granted.
Democratic narrative
The same people who believe Pres. Biden wasn't legitimately elected are now taking the US economy hostage. The GOP essentially scribbled an arbitrary debt increase number down on paper with no way to achieve it, and now it's acting like it offered a fair starting point for negotiations. Biden and the Democrats must stop pretending that the Republicans are being reasonable and start searching for ways to ensure the debt limit is increased while federal programs aren't terminated.