White Home Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was pressed Friday about why President Biden has stayed out of the general public eye in relation to authorities funding talks which can be gripping Capitol Hill.
With lower than 12 hours left earlier than a authorities shutdown, Jean-Pierre repeatedly informed reporters she wouldn’t weigh in on a “hypothetical” when requested what plans are being put in place ought to funding run out by midnight Saturday morning.
As a substitute, Jean-Pierre laid the blame solely on Republicans, saying they “blew up this deal” and noting that as the rationale Biden is staying above the fray.
“Americans need to know that Republicans are getting in the way here, and they are the ones that are creating this mess,” she mentioned. “This is a strategy that we have done before, many times and this is for Republicans in the House to fix, they created this mess.”
“Republicans blew up this deal, they did, and they need to fix it,” Jean-Pierre mentioned.
The White Home argued the “way out” of the chaos can be for lawmakers to go the primary persevering with decision that was negotiated by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). That package deal included a bunch of controversial proposals together with a lawmaker well being care plan and pay hike and was in the end torpedoed by President-elect Trump and his high allies.
“It is very easy to fix this, the mess that Republicans have created — bipartisan agreement, move forward, keep your word,” Jean-Pierre mentioned.
Trump additionally injected chaos into the method when he demanded the debt ceiling be raised or eradicated earlier than he takes workplace, partly to put that blame on Biden.
Jean-Pierre mentioned Biden spoke Friday morning with Home Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and his group has been in contact with lawmakers on either side of the aisle.
Vice President Harris has additionally been absent from the highlight this week. She had deliberate to go to Los Angeles on Thursday however ended up canceling that journey. Jean-Pierre wouldn’t say why these plans modified.
Jean-Pierre additionally wouldn’t affirm whether or not Biden deliberate to remain on the White Home over the vacation if the federal government shuts down.
The press secretary additionally insisted that there was nonetheless time to make a deal and keep away from a shutdown.
“We believe there’s still time for that to not happen, for Republicans to do the right thing, to hold up their part of the deal and move forward with the bipartisan agreement,” Jean-Pierre mentioned.
Home Republicans earlier on Friday seemed to be eyeing a brand new spending proposal that might tee up votes on three separate measures, together with to fund the federal government, acceptable catastrophe reduction and allocate farm help, three sources informed The Hill on Friday. It doesn’t embody Trump’s debt ceiling calls for.
Trump on Friday morning known as for the federal government to close down whereas Biden is president and never after he’s sworn in in a month.
“If there is going to be a shutdown of government, let it begin now, under the Biden Administration, not after January 20th, under ‘TRUMP,’” Trump posted on Fact Social. “This is a Biden problem to solve, but if Republicans can help solve it, they will!”
When questioned about Trump’s feedback, Jean-Pierre mentioned Republicans didn’t transfer forward with the bipartisan deal due to Trump and Musk “so, that’s the reality.”
“This could be avoided, Republicans in Congress don’t want to go this route. There was a whole different route they were going that would have been done in a bipartisan way,” Jean-Pierre mentioned. “They had that deal.”
Jean-Pierre warned although that presidential transition actions, forward of Trump’s inauguration in a month “would be restricted” by a possible shutdown.
“The choice to allow a transition to move forward is in the hands of Republicans in Congress,” she mentioned.
