Biden Says Default on Debt 'Not An Option,' Congress Leaders Must Live Up to Commitments
10:50 GMT 21.05.2023 (Updated: 10:52 GMT 21.05.2023)
© AP Photo / Patrick Semansky
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WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Joe Biden said on Sunday amid ongoing debt limit negotiations that the US defaulting on its debt is not an option and congressional leaders must live up to their commitments.
"It's time for Republicans to accept that there is no bipartisan deal to be made solely on their partisan terms. They have to move as well. All four congressional leaders agree with me that... default is not an option," Biden said during a press conference in Japan.
He said he would speak with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on his flight back to Washington.
Biden added that he believes a deal can be reached with Republican lawmakers on raising the US debt limit.
"I think that we can reach an agreement," Biden said during a press conference. "Part of what I've been arguing from the beginning is a need to consider the tax structure as well as cutting spending. I'm willing to cut spending, and I proposed cuts and spending of over a trillion dollars."
Biden added that he could not guarantee that the Republican leadership would not create a default by force by "doing something outrageous."
"I can't guarantee that they [Republicans] wouldn't force a default by doing something outrageous," Biden told a press conference.
US President Joe Biden and Republican lawmakers are currently engaged in ongoing negotiations to reach a deal to raise the debt limit before the US government risks defaulting as early as June.
Debt ceiling talks have been ongoing for months but only within the last few weeks have matters intensified with both parties appearing to make some movement to a looming deal; however, an official confirmation has not yet been made.
20 May 2023, 04:39 GMT
China-US Relations
The United States is not seeking to decouple from China, however, it wants to "de-risk and diversify its ties within Beijing, Biden stressed.
The US President expects the relations between the United States and China to "thaw" following the incident earlier this year when the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon in its airspace, he said.
"This silly balloon that was carrying two freight cars worth of spy equipment was flying over the United States, and it got shot down and everything changed in terms of talking to one another. I think you're going to see that began to thaw very shortly," Biden said during a press conference regarding the communication between the US and Chinese governments.
Biden said that he was not willing to trade certain things with China due to Beijing's building its military.
"We are more secure, we all have talked about China’s building its military, and it is building its military and that’s why I made it clear that I am not prepared to trade certain items with China," Biden told a press conference.
The United States does not expect Taiwan to declare independence, but Washington will continue to help improve the island's ability to defend itself, Biden said.
"We don't expect Taiwan to independently declare independence either but in the meantime we're going to continue to put Taiwan in a position that they can defend themselves," Biden said during a press conference in Japan.
Biden further said there was a clear understanding among most of the US allies that if China were to act unilaterally against Taiwan, there would be a response.
US Aid to Ukraine
The United States will continue to provide both economic and security aid to Ukraine as long as it requires, US President Joe Biden said on Sunday.
"We are going to continue to provide economic, humanitarian, and security assistance to Ukraine, so it can stand strong as long as it needs to," Biden said.
Biden said that having F-16 aircraft would not have helped Ukraine with Artemovsk (Bakhmut).
"With regards to F-16s, F-16s would not have helped in that regard at all. It was unnecessary, for example, let’s take this Artemovsk , for example, [it] would not have any additional added consequence," Biden said.
Western countries have been supplying military aid to Ukraine since the start of hostilities in February 2022. The aid evolved from artillery munitions and training in 2022 to heavier weapons, including tanks, later that year and in 2023. The US has committed over $30 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since President Joe Biden took office, according to a tally on the Pentagon's website, last updated on May 3. The Kremlin, in turn, has repeatedly warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev.
