Speaker Kevin McCarthy told Fox News Digital on Monday that he’s prepared to cancel the House of Representatives’ planned recess next week if that time is needed to pass a debt ceiling deal.
“Oh, yeah. We’re gonna stay and do our job,” McCarthy said when asked if recess plans might be scrapped. “You know, the difference here is, when Republicans took over, we no longer have this proxy voting. I believe it’s more productive.”
“If the voters vote for you, and lend the voice to you, you should be here to provide that voice. Whether you’re with me or against me, I think the voices need to be here. That’s what the American people want,” he said.
McCarthy spoke with reporters outside of his office just hours before he was set to meet with President Biden on the debt limit, as Republicans and Democrats scramble to work out differences before the U.S. government runs out of cash to pay its obligations.
WHAT IS THE DEBT CEILING, AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU?
He said earlier that recent talks had been “productive” but noted that there was no deal yet.
“I think they were productive and continuing working, we’re not at a deal anyway, but we’re continuing working through,” McCarthy said. “I thought the conversation with the president was productive in the sense, we got the teams back together working, we know the time is of the essence.”
The speaker would not give any indication on specifics in the talks and refused to say whether Republicans were budging from the demands laid out in their Limit, Save, Grow Act. That bill would raise the debt limit by $1.5 trillion in exchange for cutting back federal spending, rescinding key Biden administration policies and raising work requirements for SNAP benefits — most of which Democrats are opposing.
He did not directly comment on reports that border security provisions were added to GOP’s list of demands over the weekend.
Asked by a reporter about changes to SNAP and immigration provisions in the GOP’s debt limit stance, he said, “We’ve always had SNAP in.”
“Look, we’ve been talking about the same stuff all along. I don’t know who feeds you different things. I’ve always been clear with the president since February 1. We’re not going to raise taxes. We’re going to spend less money than we spent this year,” McCarthy said without commenting on the immigration aspect.
HOUSE DEMOCRATS BEGIN ‘HAIL MARY’ ATTEMPT TO GO AROUND SPEAKER MCCARTHY AND RAISE THE DEBT LIMIT
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned Congress that the federal government is in danger of defaulting on debt payments if action isn’t taken on the debt limit by June 1.
McCarthy said “I think it’s still possible” to strike a deal by then but would not dismiss the idea that Yellen’s date was flexible.
“That’s up to Janet Yellen. That’s probably… they decide when that date is, the president may have more information on that,” the speaker said. “But she’s been very clear… June 1. That’s why we took action all the way back in April.”