Far-left radical Democrats warned President Joe Biden of a severe “backlash” if he negotiates a deal with House Republicans to cut wasteful spending from the budget.
Although Biden and Republicans do not appear close to a deal, extreme Democrats cautioned Biden not to settle with Republican lawmakers, who have budget negotiation leverage.
“I think he [Biden] just needs to remember that because I think the backlash will be significant if somehow we were to get bullied into a bad deal,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) told reporters Wednesday.
She also suggested that working out a deal with Republicans would weaken the Democratic Party in the future as it tries to enact extreme legislation.
“I think it’s very bad for the people of America; I also think it’s a terrible dynamic for negotiations going forward,” she said.
“I think there would be a huge backlash from our entire House democratic caucus, certainly the progressives — but also in the streets,” she told CNN on Tuesday.
Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) echoed Jayapal’s warning. “[It’s] not going to be helpful” to Biden’s re-election hopes, she suggested in relation to the possibility that Biden agrees to cut wasteful spending.
Jayapal also said “huge numbers” of young adults are now of age to vote and that Biden must remember “those that have been supportive of him and have been pushing his agenda.”
“The president needs to fully utilize the bully pulpit, the power of the presidency, to get the message across to the American people what’s really at stake here,” a lawmaker told NBC News. “As of this time, the American people haven’t been fully informed what is truly at stake by what default means for this country.”
Another House Democrat slammed Biden for losing the communication battle over budget negotiations.
“It does seem to me like Republicans are beating us to the message at this point,” the lawmaker said. “The White House needs to recognize that its message is not getting through and take some pretty swift and decisive action to get out there and make sure that more people are hearing that message.”
Meanwhile, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who House Republicans praised for successful messaging, told reporters Wednesday that Biden must concede on some points.
“Why not offer a single concession beyond saying we’re not gonna default?” McCarthy questioned. “We’ve offered a lot of concessions!”
“If AOC & Bernie Sanders is gonna run their party, that’s not my fault,” he added. “I’m not even sure Bernie Sanders is a registered Democrat.”
From the start, Biden refused to negotiate on the budget through debt ceiling talks. That now appears to be a mistake, as Biden finds himself between the far-left’s demands and the Republicans Party’s leverage. If House Republicans retain leverage, Biden must concede. But those concessions will anger the Democrat base and leave Biden in a tough position heading into 2024.
Related — Fmr. Dem Sen. Heitkamp: “It’s up to Biden” to Respond to House on Debt Limit, He Wrongly Bet They Wouldn’t Pass Anything
Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø. He is the author of Politics of Slave Morality.
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