A conservative advocacy group kicked off an ad campaign Monday to pressure President Joe Biden to negotiate with House Republicans on hiking the debt limit as the nation creeps toward default.
The American Action Network launched the $250,000 cable ad buy to air nationally on CNN and MSNBC this week, the Washington Examiner reported.
The ad features headlines highlighting Biden's handling of the debt limit negotiations while a voice-over says, "Biden's refusal to negotiate could lead America to its very first default."
It also praises GOP lawmakers in the House for the April passage of the Limit, Save, Grow Act to raise the debt ceiling. Among its $4.8 trillion in spending cuts, the bill would reduce the discretionary budget to prepandemic levels and cap budget increases by 1% each year.
"President Biden is driving America to its very first default, and there will be no one but him to blame," AAN President Dan Conston told the Washington Examiner.
"The House met the moment and passed popular reforms that avoid default and address America's runaway spending. It's time for the president to wake up to reality and get serious about a deal to avoid default."
Biden has insisted the GOP pass a "clean" debt ceiling measure.
But as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned the nation may be unable to pay all its obligations as early as June 1, Biden invited House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to meet at the White House on Tuesday.
The AAN's polling shows 50% of voters in 87 battleground congressional districts opposed increasing the debt ceiling without cutting government spending; 37% supported the increase without spending cuts — with 53% of those voters agreeing with McCarthy's debt ceiling stance compared with 39% agreeing with Biden's.
Senate Republicans have remained in lockstep with McCarthy's position that federal spending must be curbed in exchange for a debt ceiling hike, the Washington Examiner reported.
Fran Beyer ✉
Fran Beyer is a writer with Newsmax and covers national politics.
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