McConnell: Biden ‘Has a History of Negotiating in Connection with the Debt Ceiling’ — He Did It in 2011

On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “The Story,” Senate Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stated that he is behind House Speaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) push for tying spending cuts to the debt ceiling and pointed out that President Joe Biden, during his tenure as Vice President, negotiated spending reductions that were tied to raising the debt ceiling.

Host Martha MacCallum asked, “Kevin McCarthy…said that he wants to see spending cut in exchange for the debt ceiling. He said there are ways that you can sort of start to touch some of these areas without touching some of the ones that are more difficult politically maybe to begin that process. Are you on board with him on that?”

McCarthy responded, “I am. Actually, Joe Biden and I did this back in 2011. He was delegated by the president to deal with me as the leader of my party in the Senate. We negotiated the Budget Control Act, which actually reduced spending for two years in a row for the first time since right after the Korean War. So the President knows that he himself has a history of negotiating in connection with the debt ceiling. So I think what the Speaker is asking him to do is not unreasonable and certainly within precedent.”

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