McCarthy wants to ‘finish up’ debt talks Wednesday, though sides remain far apart

“We have to spend less than we spent last year. It is not my fault the Democrats can’t give up on their spending,” McCarthy said, in his second set of remarks to reporters in the Capitol within three hours.

While Democrats have agreed to freeze spending through the next fiscal year, Republicans have insisted on reducing federal funding to pre-pandemic levels — amounting to roughly $131 billion in cuts. Further complicating matters, Democrats complain that Republicans have actually sought an increase in one part of the federal budget: the Pentagon.

It’s not the only major area of disagreement. GOP and Democratic negotiators are also at odds over Republican proposals on stricter work requirements for social programs — another issue that has been threatening to derail talks for days. McCarthy accused Biden and Democrats of hewing to their far left rather than negotiating.

“It’s not my fault that the Democrats today have been so extreme, so far to the socialist wing, that they are so opposed” to GOP proposals on work requirements and spending cuts, the speaker said. The White House, however, has insisted that GOP negotiators have been inflexible on work requirements, a nonstarter for many Democrats. And Biden officials say Republicans even stepped up their asks over the weekend, demanding a new cut to food assistance programs that wasn’t in the GOP’s initial debt limit and spending cuts bill.

Democrats also say McCarthy and his team have refused to consider revenue increases to offset the U.S. deficit, including closing tax loopholes for the wealthy.

But McCarthy told reporters Wednesday that he has told Biden he will not raise taxes: “It’s not a revenue problem, it’s a spending problem.”

McCarthy hasn’t yet said whether House lawmakers will be required to stay in town through the Memorial Day recess, with the potential default deadline — June 1 — just around the corner. More likely, House lawmakers will be told to be on standby, ready to come to Washington to vote as soon as there is a deal.

McCarthy has told members to plan to be in D.C next week, although the exact timing remains unclear, according to two people familiar with his comments who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“I firmly believe we’ll be able to get there,” McCarthy said, though he offered no sense of timing.

Jordain Carney and Olivia Beavers contributed.