McConnell tells Biden he won’t move to raise debt ceiling again
CNN
By Rachel Janfaza and Kaitlan Collins, CNN
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Friday warned President Joe Biden he should not expect cooperation on raising the debt ceiling again, a day after he voted with Democrats to overcome a procedural hurdle and make way for a temporary extension of the limit through early December.
“I write to inform you that I will not provide such assistance again if your all-Democrat government drifts into another avoidable crisis,” McConnell said in a letter to Biden.
The pair also spoke on Friday, according to a source familiar with the conversation, and another source familiar with the conversation said McConnell delivered the same message to the President that was in the letter.
The Senate voted 50-48 Thursday in favor of the extension after 11 Republicans, including McConnell, broke ranks to help Democrats overcome a filibuster. That move from the Kentucky Republican allowed the debt ceiling deal to avert economic disaster, announced earlier in the day, to move forward after weeks of partisan deadlock over the issue.
The House is expected to convene Tuesday to vote on the bill and will have to approve the measure before it can be sent to Biden for his signature.
While the debt limit extension stands to avert immediate economic disaster, it does not resolve the underlying partisan stalemate over the issue but merely delays the fight until another day.
This is a breaking story and will be updated.
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CNN’s Manu Raju and Daniella Diaz contributed to this report.
