President Joe Biden dismissed questions about the state of play for a debt limit and budget deal, saying reporters who questioned him aren’t in the ‘real world.’
Biden then mocked their negotiating skills and said he would be foolish to talk up the compromise before the looming vote.
Biden made the comments as he left the White House after taking part in a Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, as his agreement with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was taking shots from both the conservative right and the progressive left – including from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
He hailed it as a ‘bipartisan deal’ that deserved passage and would clear Congress by the ‘X date’ of June 5th when the nation would go into default.
‘You guys you realize you’re not in the real world,’ Biden told reporters when asked about the compromise as he prepared to fly to his Wilmington home for a night, after spending the weekend at Camp David.
He said the deal would get done by June 5th ‘no question.’ The House Rules Committee is preparing to meet Tuesday to start House and Senate action this week. Biden also said he spoke to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who praised the agreement.
‘There is no reason why it shouldn’t get done by the fifth. I’m confident that we’ll get a vote in both houses, and we’ll see,’ he said.
At another point, when asked for his message to Democrats who were grousing about it, Biden said it was ‘talk to me.’
Asked what he would tell them, Biden said: ‘I’m not going to tell you.’ Then he said it would be absurd to try to cast the deal as a win now. Some House progressives have ripped it, saying it would lock in cuts pushed by Republicans.
‘How about if this was a 100 percent deal for the Democrats. You think that’d help me get it passed? Come on,’ Biden said.
He expanded: ‘One of the things that I hear some of you saying is why doesn’t Biden say what a good deal it is? Why would Biden say what a good deal it is before the vote? You think that’s going to help me get it passed? No. That’s why you guys don’t bargain very well. Anyway …’
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