The debt settlement was the topic of President Joe Biden’s first speech from the Oval Office. Image source: GETTY IMAGES
President Joe Biden emphasized that the decision to increase the US borrowing limit successfully prevented an “economic collapse.”
The legislation was promptly passed by Congress with support from both parties, and President Joe Biden signed it into law on Saturday.
Notably, the Democratic president gave his Republican rivals rare praise and acknowledged their dedication to acting honestly.
President Biden emphasized the seriousness of the situation, stressing that a hypothetical US default on its enormous $31.4 trillion (£25 trillion) debt by the deadline would have had dire repercussions.
Oval Office addresses have historically been used to address major crises like war or natural catastrophes.
The White House emphasized that President Biden’s choice to deliver his remarks from the Oval Office was intended to underscore the seriousness of the situation had the debt ceiling not been raised just in time.
Over the course of several weeks, the White House and Republicans engaged in discussions and negotiations, debating the intricacies of the deal.
There was widespread skepticism regarding whether the package would be finalized before the US government faced a potential funding shortfall on June 5.
With a 63-36 vote in the Senate on Thursday night, following its smooth passage in the House of Representatives the day before, the bill successfully cleared both chambers of Congress.
President Biden expressed his admiration for congressional leaders, including Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell, commending their contributions to the agreement.
President Biden, who is running for re-election in 2024, lauded the legislative leaders’ prudent conduct and acknowledged their preference for the welfare of the country over political considerations.
The arrangement reached calls for the debt ceiling to be suspended until January 1, 2025.
It also adds enhanced labor requirements for food and healthcare aid, among other restrictions, caps on non-defense spending, and other changes.
Notably, President Biden’s early goals will be aligned with the substantial increase in spending for medical treatment for veterans.
The proposal is anticipated to result in savings of $1.5 trillion over a ten-year period, according to the independent Congressional Budget Office’s assessment on Tuesday.
Although the law enjoyed strong bipartisan support, several Republicans felt that the accord did not include enough budget cuts.
On the other hand, some Democrats voiced worries that the bill reduced spending too drastically.
These contrasting viewpoints within the parties serve to demonstrate the range of opinions on the size of the budget cuts and other legislation provisions.