Joe Biden called Republicans “reckless and dangerous” and warned he “cannot guarantee” that the United States will not default.

President Joe Biden said on Monday that cannot guarantee that the United States will avoid a defaultwith Democrats and Republicans at odds over how to increase the legal limit on the national debt.

“No I can not. It depends on Mitch McConnell», He declared, referring to the principal Republican of the Senate, who leads the opposition to help Democrats raise the debt ceiling.

Biden called on opponents “reckless and dangerous“For refusing to join the Democrats in raising the debt ceiling. Republican obstruction could push ”our economy off a cliffHe added in a speech to the White House.

“They are threatening (the Republicans) to use their power to prevent us from doing our job, which is to save the economy from a catastrophic event. I think this is downright hypocritical, dangerous and regrettable. They must stop playing Russian roulette with the US economyBiden condemned.

The president went on the offensive with a speech in which attacked Republicans over the looming threat of default, but also put pressure on his Democratic Party so that implement your multibillion dollar stagnant household spending program.

Back from an unusual weekend of rest at his home in Delaware, Biden has plunged into the most consistent period of his presidency to date.

On the one hand, in the face of Republicans’ determination to curb momentum and regain control of Congress in next year’s midterm legislative elections. On the other hand, Biden faces the infighting between democrats on his bills Infrastructure and of social spending.

While Biden’s legacy may ultimately depend on the $ 1.2 trillion infrastructure package and potentially $ 3.5 trillion social spending package, The entire US and global economy faces the looming threat of a possible default.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warns that, As of October 18, the United States will not have funds to honor its obligations to its creditors if Congress does not relax the legal debt ceiling.

Congress has done this dozens of times in the decades since it set borrowing limits, and the vote is often two-party and not dramatic. This year, reflecting the extraordinary acrimony, Republicans are refusing to vote for raising the cap and say they will even prevent Democrats from passing a simple vote themselves along party lines.

In its place, Senate Republicans are trying to force Democrats to use a complex maneuver called reconciliation to take responsibility for the increased debt on their own. Democrats have so far refused, accusing Republicans of taking the country’s financial situation hostage.

The deadlock means Democrats, who control the Senate with one voice, get bogged down in trying to deal with the debt crisis while trying to overcome internal differences on Biden’s spending envelopes.

Monday, the majority leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer said an increase in the debt ceiling should be voted “before the weekend, period”.

“We can’t afford to wait until October 18because it is our responsibility to reassure the world that the United States is fulfilling its obligations in a timely manner, ”he said.

How many do you need?

Meanwhile, Biden is using all of his experience of nearly four decades in the Senate and eight years as vice president under Barack Obama to give it a try. propose a formula that unites the left wing and the more conservative wing of his party.

His trip to a union training center in Howell, Michigan on Tuesday will attempt to shed light on the White House’s argument that big spending plans are popular with voters and that the Democrats would do themselves colossal harm if their differences caused the collapse of the entire legislative program.

The moderates in the House of Representatives and, above all, in the tight Senate, they refuse to accept the $ 3.5 trillion price the progressive wing expects for social spending. Progressives reject a $ 1.5 trillion counter-offer.

“I need 50 votes. I’m 48 years old, I’m missing two“, He declared on Monday, referring to those considered to be” moderate democrats “, Joe manchin and Kyrsten Cinema, who oppose high government spending that increases the deficit, for which they announced that they do not support the project.

However, both sides are playing hard, with progressives refusing to endorse even the infrastructure component of $ 1,000 billion, unless your most important social spending goals are set first.

On Sunday, Schumer said the goal was “Make both bills next month”, adding another deadline to a tense fall season for Biden’s team.

(With information from AFP)

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