House Speaker McCarthy Announces Republicans Will Pass Their Own Debt Ceiling Bill if Biden Does Not Negotiate

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Thursday announced that House Republicans are prepared to pass their own debt ceiling bill if President Joe Biden does not agree to negotiate with them. McCarthy made the announcement during a GOP press conference, where he made a gratuitous jab at the President’s age.

McCarthy said the Republican conference is “very close” to agreement on the issue and that the House debt ceiling bill would reflect the contours of his letter to Biden earlier this week. The letter proposed a borrowing limit extension with provisions to cut and cap discretionary spending, recapturing unspent Covid relief funds, new work requirements for federal benefits and energy and border legislation.

McCarthy said that if Biden does not act, the House will. When asked what sort of soft food McCarthy might bring to Biden, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) laughed uncomfortably. McCarthy said he would bring lunch to the White House.

The stalemate over the debt ceiling has been ongoing for some time, but McCarthy’s remarks represent a significant twist in the situation. It remains to be seen whether Biden will agree to negotiate with McCarthy and the House Republicans or if the House will move forward with their own debt ceiling bill.