In yet another example of his strong, steady leadership, President Biden successfully negotiated a bipartisan budget agreement to prevent a catastrophic default and protect our economic recovery.
Here’s a look at what they are saying about how President Biden secured a “huge win,” that will protect Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other critical programs that millions of hardworking families, students, and veterans count on.
In the Media:
Joe Scarborough, MSNBC: “There is no substitute for experience. [President Biden] has done it before. You look at how he once again, once again, defied expectations, not only from the haters, but his own party, and it’s a pretty remarkable record. You look at the bipartisan legislation… show me a president in the last 25 years, the last quarter century, that has had more bipartisan legislation than Joe Biden.”
Steve Benen, MSNBC: “Donald Trump might’ve told voters he knew how [to] ‘get people in a room’ and reach bipartisan deals, but it’s Joe Biden who’s actually delivered on the goal.”
Franklin Leonard, Vanity Fair: “Averting a debt ceiling shutdown with a party that literally stormed the Capitol the last time they didn’t get their way has gotten be considered a win for Biden however you slice it.”
Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight: “Biden has had a pretty impressive record of bipartisan accomplishments that have entirely failed to change the conventional wisdom about How Politics Are Going These Days.”
Vanity Fair: “Joe Biden Was Underestimated Once Again on the Debt Ceiling Deal”
David Rothkopf, The Daily Beast: “Like so many other Biden accomplishments-from the rescue package to the infra bill, from the inflation reduction act to the CHIPs act-Biden was underestimated, he achieved progress despite his opponents’ obstructionism, he didn’t play media games & let the work speak for itself.”
Greg Sargent, The Washington Post: “Important details in Biden-McCarthy deal: According to a source familiar, it appears to preserve programs providing assistance to families with children from the cuts the GOP wanted to impose. Also protected: The climate provisions in Biden’s big 2022 bill. That’s all good news.”
Seung Min Kim, Associated Press: “Hmm … the White House gets a two year debt limit lift (through the elections) when the House Republican bill had only one year. That seems objectively a win for the WH!”
Dean Obeidallah, SiriusXM: “President Biden gets a huge win on the debt ceiling deal. This lifts the debt ceiling for two years so no BS next year. Plus Biden protected his student loan debt cancellation and his climate change achievements that GOP wanted to repeal.”
The American Independent: “McCarthy says Biden stopped him from cutting Social Security and Medicare”
Bloomberg: “In Debt-Limit Fight, Biden Scores a Win on Defense Spending”
Bill Scher, Washington Monthly: “[President Biden] has made Washington functional again. The debt-limit deal is only his latest bipartisan accomplishment, following historic legislation in support of infrastructure, semiconductor manufacturing, gun safety, Ukraine aid, and postal service reform.”
Michael A. Cohen, MSNBC: “The president’s latest win came over the weekend, when he struck a deal with House Republicans to raise the debt limit and work out a budget framework that is likely to avoid a government shutdown this fall. This follows similar successes, such as a bipartisan infrastructure bill, the most sweeping gun control measure in decades and legislation to strengthen the U.S. computer chip industry against China. Biden has also signed into law bipartisan measures to reform the Postal Service, expand veterans’ benefits and even protect same-sex marriage.”
David Smith, The Guardian: “As a bipartisan deal to suspend the $31.4tn debt ceiling passed the House of Representatives on Thursday, Biden could also claim vindication for the underlying theory of his presidency: that in the age of polarisation it takes an apostle of bipartisanship and a 36-year veteran of the Senate to reach across the aisle and make deals with his opponents.”
Joy Reid, MSNBC: “We begin tonight with the rise of ‘Team Normal,’ thanks to President Joe Biden, well, ‘Biden-ing,’ after his theory of the case in politics that bipartisanship is best actually won out last night when the House of Representatives voted to pass the debt deal he worked out with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Because guess what? Normal may not be flashy, but it is a winning strategy. Not only did the House pass the bill to suspend the nation’s debt ceiling for two years and resolve the budget in the process, it showed that normalcy can prevail over political extremism.”
New York Times: “The president’s approach to the negotiations — and especially their aftermath — reflects a half-century of bargaining in Washington. When someone has been around the track as long as Mr. Biden has, resisting the temptation to spike the ball and claim victory can be critical to actually securing the victory in the first place. From the start of the clash with Mr. McCarthy’s Republicans, Mr. Biden has followed the instincts he has developed through long, hard and sometimes painful experience.”
Matt Bai, Washington Post: “But here, Biden managed to score a significant victory ahead of 2024: a high-stakes compromise across ideological lines, and images of the president arm in arm with a Republican speaker who seemed to loathe him just a week before.”
Financial Times: “Joe Biden averts a disastrous default”
From Elected Officials:
Sen. Chuck Schumer: “I commend President Biden and his team for producing a sensible compromise under the most difficult of circumstances. So many of the destructive provisions in the Republican bill are gone. Because we persisted and we kept insisting that default is off the table, we will not be defaulting, and we will not be passing the far-right’s extreme agenda, virtually no part of it. And that is thanks to the Senate and House Democrats and to President Biden.”
Sen. Dick Durbin: “It took a lot of work and a lot of positioning… I have to give President Biden and particularly his negotiators credit, nothing but the highest praise for them. And I think at this point, we feel that the final product was as good as we could hope for.”
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries: “I’m thankful for the leadership of President Joe Biden in avoiding a catastrophic default. I’m thankful for the leadership of President Joe Biden in finding our way to an agreement that will avoid a hostage taking situation for the balance of the 118th Congress. And I’m thankful for the leadership of President Joe Biden and House Democrats, who protected Social Security, protected Medicare, protected Medicaid, protected veterans’ benefits, protected education, protected public safety… And as a result of that effort, that leadership, of President Joe Biden, we’re going to be able to get through this hostage taking situation and ensure that we can continue to build an economy that works for everyday Americans.
Rep. Pete Aguilar: “Tonight, I voted YES to end the Republican manufactured crisis and avoid default—which would have caused a job-killing recession. Thanks to
@POTUS, this agreement rejects extreme Republican demands to cut Social Security, Medicare and veterans’ health care.”
Rep. James Clyburn: “…They have always underestimated Joe Biden. They get carried away with the style. Joe Biden has a very understated style about him… He knows the Senate, he knows the Congress. He doesn’t need to make headlines, he is always working in the best way to make some headway, and that’s what he has done.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi: “Let us commend President Biden for his responsible leadership to prevent this unconscionable outcome while protecting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, protecting health care for our veterans as our Commander in Chief, climate, infrastructure, our economy…”
Rep. Joyce Beatty: “When President Biden called me earlier today, we agreed that defaulting on our debt was simply not an option — and, I thanked him for his leadership. I’m proud to stand with Leader Jeffries and House Democrats to continue our fight against MAGA extremism.”
Rep. Brendan Boyle: “In a divided government, knowing that Monday we will default on our debt for the first time in American history without congressional action, I believe overall this is a fair agreement. I applaud the White House for negotiating as well as they did. So many of… the extreme things Republicans wanted initially are not in this bill.”
Rep. Shontel Brown: “I voted for the debt ceiling agreement because the alternative – deep cuts or a default – was much worse. Thankfully, the @WhiteHouse & @HouseDemocrats protected Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, veterans’ care, and the ACA.”
Rep. Steve Cohen: “The administration did a fine job in getting this agreement…”
Sen. Chris Coons: “I’d say this is a good result. And it demonstrates how a determined and seasoned president with relevant experience can take an extreme set of demands from a unified and intransigent House Republican majority and negotiate it down to something we can live with for the next two years… President Biden has for decades been underestimated in his ability to resolve things in Congress and to make legislative progress.”
Rep. Lois Frankel: “Like any compromise, no one got everything they wanted, but I’m thankful President Biden successfully rejected Republicans’ most extreme attacks on American seniors, veterans, and families. This agreement largely protects the critical lifelines everyday Americans rely on like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, VA benefits, and keeps the historic progress Democrats have made over the past two years in place. Now it’s time to get back to work.”
Rep. Frost: “I commend President Biden and his administration for brokering a deal that frees our country from the Republican manufactured crisis of defaulting on our nation’s debt.”
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick: “…The Fiscal Responsibility Act, that both avoids default and also begins the process of putting our nation on a path to fiscal sustainability. There is still much more work to be done. But this legislation is a very, very important first step.”
Rep. Robert Garcia: “The President did a great job protecting Medicaid, Social Security and student loan relief in this deal…”
Rep. Annie Kuster: “The U.S. cannot default on our debt—thanks to @POTUS, we have a bipartisan agreement to prevent economic catastrophe.”
Rep. Ted Lieu: “Tonight’s vote is a victory for the American people. @POTUS negotiated a bipartisan agreement under very difficult conditions caused by reckless MAGA Republicans. President Biden shows, once again, that he gets stuff done and is one of the most effective Presidents in history.”
Rep. Kevin Mullin: “I commend President Biden for his leadership in fending off devastating cuts and protecting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.”
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz: “As Ranking Member of the MilConVA @AppropsDems Subcommittee, I’m happy to see that @POTUS secured the funding to protect veterans’ medical care from Republican attacks and back-door budget cuts in the Bipartisan Budget Agreement. Democrats continue to put #PeopleOverPolitics.”
Mayor Levar Stoney: “The Biden-Harris Administration delivered a responsible, bipartisan agreement that will protect our nation’s historic legislative investments, economic gains, low unemployment rates, and health care while blocking excessive cuts to law enforcement, public safety, and education. It also safeguards critical pieces of federal legislation that cities depend on, such as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.”
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