Biden’s claim as a master deal-maker and ‘uniter in chief’ is being tested by the debt ceiling.

Can Biden Unite Republicans on Debt Limit Agreement?

Questions are being raised about President Joe Biden’s ability to bring Congressional Republicans to a debt limit agreement, despite his own desire for a bipartisan solution. Biden’s team had planned to continue negotiations with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s own negotiators through the weekend, but discussions ground to a halt when Republican lawmakers abruptly left a meeting with White House officials on Friday morning.

Republicans Accuse White House of Playing Hardball

Republicans have accused the White House and Democrats of not seriously considering cuts proposed by the GOP, specifically the two-year caps that would limit federal spending to 2022 levels. “We’ve got to get movement by the White House. And we don’t have any movement yet,” McCarthy told reporters following Friday’s negotiations breakdown.

Biden’s Hopes for Bipartisan Solution Undermined by Democrats

Biden’s hopes for a bipartisan solution have been further undermined by members of his own party. A group of 11 Senate Democrats sent a letter to the White House on Thursday urging the president to invoke the 14th Amendment to avoid a default without help from Republicans, echoing calls from some in the progressive base.

White House Running Out of Time to Avoid Default

No matter which route Biden ultimately chooses, the White House is rapidly running out of time to avoid a default. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has repeatedly stated this week that the “X-date,” the point at which the nation fully exhausts measures to meet its debts, will occur in early June, not July as previously believed.

• Biden’s ability to unite Republicans on debt limit agreement questioned
• Republicans accuse White House of playing hardball
• Biden’s hopes for bipartisan solution undermined by Democrats
• White House running out of time to avoid default

Despite the apparent gap between the two sides, senior Democrat officials have warned not to “underestimate” Biden’s ability to close the deal. “Republicans are playing a game of chicken with the economic future of the nation, but we have full confidence in the president and his team can safely avoid a default,” one official said.

Whether or not Biden invokes the 14th Amendment, the White House is rapidly running out of time to avoid a default. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has cautioned against invoking the 14th Amendment, stating that there is no alternative to reaching a bipartisan agreement to raise the statutory debt limit.