White House On Lockdown, Refuses To Negotiate

In an NPR interview segment released on Thursday, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients declared that President Joe Biden will not engage in negotiations with Republicans in Congress whatsoever over spending reductions in return for raising the debt ceiling, as he did as Vice President in the Obama administration in 2011. Zients justified this stance by stating that the practice of “brinksmanship” had severe repercussions on the economy and families throughout the country, and that the current administration would not repeat it.

It’s absolutely pathetic to see President Biden literally telling the American people that is refusing to negotiate whatsoever with Republicans in Congress.

According to Breitbart, NPR White House Correspondent Asma Khalid noted during an episode of “All Things Considered” that she had questioned White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients regarding the administration’s reluctance to engage in negotiations regarding the debt ceiling. Khalid referenced the Obama White House’s decision to negotiate with congressional Republicans during the debt limit crisis in 2011, which had included discussions of spending cuts.

Asma Khalid then proceeded to play a recording of Jeff Zients responding to her question, in which he explained that the previous administration’s strategy of brinksmanship had resulted in significant harm to both the economy and families across the nation. Zients emphasized that the current administration would not repeat the same approach when it came to negotiating the debt ceiling.

Zients then said, “I think the off-ramp’s very clear. It’s the same off-ramp that was taken with no drama…when President Trump was in the White House, take default off the table, like we have every time. Don’t play games with the full faith and credit of the United States. It’s unacceptable. It’s not up for negotiation. And then have the separate discussion around different visions for the future of the country and budgets.”