WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris struggled Thursday to get President Biden’s message about debt ceiling talks – losing her voice and then connecting Zoom during a virtual briefing with reporters and Democrat allies just two weeks before a possible U.S. default.
“Hello everyone. I need to thanks all for being with us today. Should you hear I even have a frog in my throat, please forgive me,” Harris said in a shrill whisper as she appeared as Biden’s deputy on the Home Front while he visited Japan for the G-7 Summit.
“I have been talking a lot about this currently,” added veep with a laugh.
Just two minutes after Harris began speaking at the audio briefing, her call was cut off mid-sentence as she denounced Republicans in Congress.
“Congressional Republicans say they’re threatening default because they need to lower our country’s debt,” Harris said.
“OK, let’s be clear, for Republicans in Congress, this issue isn’t about lowering our nation’s debt, because in the event that they really cared about lowering our debt, they would not be fighting to guard the trillions of dollars in Trump’s tax cuts for the richest Americans and largest corporations either — tax cuts that may add three and a half trillion dollars
![Kamala Harris](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/2023-05-18T173825Z_2074591422_RC2TZ0ASK8NB_RTRMADP_3_USA-DEBT-HARRIS.jpg?w=1024)
Seven awkward minutes later, after Harris’ aides scrambled to fill airtime, the vice chairman returned to handle 1000’s of Democratic officials, activists and reporters, organizers said.
“I’m here. I’m here,” she said.
“To finish my point, I’ll say that we have stopped talking in regards to the real stakes and the problems which might be at stake,” Harris said.
“Default can trigger a recession, [inaudible] military payouts and raising rates of interest for years to return and making mortgage rates actually go up, bank card payments going up, and small business loans getting dearer.”
Harris added: “It could also reduce the sum of money in retirement accounts.
“So for the typical American nearing retirement, their 401,000. could lose over $20,000 of hard-earned dollars.
“And default would also jeopardize the programs hundreds of thousands of Americans depend on, including Social Security and Medicare.”
The White House insisted it might not negotiate with House Republicans over spending cuts in exchange for a rise in the debt ceiling.
Nevertheless, Biden has expressed a willingness to comply with the spending cuts which might be being implemented in tandem.
The Republican-led House of Representatives passed a bill in April that may raise the debt ceiling in exchange for recovering unspent COVID-19 funds and curbing future spending increases, amongst other policy changes.
![Joe Biden](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Japan_G7_Summit_36065-5b2f7.jpg?w=1024)
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) joined Harris, Biden and other congressional leaders at the White House on Tuesday ahead of what the Treasury Department says is an early June deadline to avoid defaulting on federal debt payments.
McCarthy and Biden appointed staff negotiators, and the president canceled stops in Australia and Papua Recent Guinea to return to the US on Sunday to oversee what the consequence of the talks is perhaps.
Nevertheless, a final deal is more likely to require broad bipartisan support attributable to the numerous potential Republican defections if the cuts are usually not drastic enough and Democrats vote “no” in protest of cuts deemed to go too far.
Former President Donald Trump last week called on Republicans to force a default if Biden doesn’t crack.
“I’m telling the Republicans on the market – congressmen, senators – in the event that they don’t provide you with massive cuts, you are going to need to default…you would possibly as well do it now or you will do it later,” Trump told a CNN event at Recent Hampshire City Hall.
The House Freedom Caucus, which represents 45 Republicans, released a statement on Thursday urging the Democrat-led Senate to step down and pass a House Republican bill to lift the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion or by March 2024, whichever comes first. will occur sooner.
“House Republicans have done our job on the debt ceiling. It is time for President Biden and Senate Democrats to do their part and pass the Limit, Save, Grow Act,” the conservative caucus said.
“No more discussions about dilution. Period.”