Congressional Democrats are growing increasingly concerned that President Joe Biden's "no negotiations" strategy to raise the nation's debt ceiling, now at $31 trillion, will lead to a protracted standoff. The Treasury Department has notified Congress that it is time again to raise the debt ceiling in order to allow more borrowing for paying off the country’s accumulated bills.
On April 26, the Republican-majority House passed a broad outline of extending the borrowing limit with accompanying spending cuts while Biden remains adamant there will be no negotiations with the GOP. Some Democrats have criticized this plan and urged Biden to break his monthslong refusal to negotiate with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The debt ceiling bill was passed by the House earlier this month with a narrow margin of 217-215 votes. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) expressed concern over the president's stance: "We cannot afford a prolonged deadlock on an issue as important as our nation's financial stability."
In response to these concerns, former President Donald Trump has warned that President Joe Biden is bad for the United States, calling him "grossly incompetent" and "dangerous" for America. Trump stated that under Biden's leadership, our country is in jeopardy: “He [Biden] is very close to destroying everything we hold dear.”
Trump further revealed his intentions of retiring his use of “crooked” when referring to Hillary Clinton and reserving it solely for Joe Biden instead.
Meanwhile, putting an end to months of speculation about his political future, President Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he would seek reelection in 2024. Trump had previously announced his own bid for presidency last November but has since been facing various legal troubles.
Joe Biden’s first campaign advertisement ahead of 2024 aims at drawing attention towards Middle America through patriotic imagery such as American flags representing the president. The ad also includes messages that Biden is middle America, warning viewers that the values it represents are under attack.
However, the advertisement simultaneously suggests that those involved in the January 6 riots were attempting to overturn the election results and stopping radicals was tantamount to defending democracy. As tensions rise between both sides of the political spectrum, only time will tell how this standoff over raising the debt ceiling will unfold in Congress.