Donald Trump has again criticised Republican leaders that he needs to advance his policy agenda – this time over how to raise the amount of money the government can borrow to pay its debts.
Further displaying party disunity, Mr Trump on Twitter expressed frustration with Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, saying they did not heed his advice to attach legislation increasing the US’s debt ceiling to a measure on veterans affairs.
"I requested that Mitch M & Paul R tie the Debt Ceiling legislation into the popular V.A. Bill (which just passed) for easy approval," Trump wrote in a in Twitter post.
“They ... didn't do it so now we have a big deal with Dems holding them up (as usual) on Debt Ceiling approval. Could have been so easy-now a mess!” he added.
The Veterans Affairs bill – which is intended to expedite the appeals process for veterans who were denied disability benefits – passed the House and Senate with bipartisan support earlier the summer. Any Republican attempt to raise the nation’s debt ceiling will also need the support of Democrats.
The Treasury Department has said the cap on the amount the federal government may borrow to pay its debts must be raised by 29 September. If Congress fails to increase this amount, the government could default on its debt, and many economists have warned that economic growth could slow down significantly as a result.
Federal debt is the amount of money the government currently owes for spending on payments such as Social Security, Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt and tax refunds.
“With the White House, House and Senate under one party control, the American people expect and deserve a plan from Republicans to avert a catastrophic default and ensure the full faith and credit of the United States,” said Nancy Pelosi, the top Democrat in the House.
“With so much at risk for hard-working families, Republicans need to stop the chaos and sort themselves out in a hurry,” she added.
Mr Trump’s Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has been pushing for a “clean” raise to the debt ceiling, meaning one that is not attached to spending cuts or any other bills.
However, for many months the Trump administration failed to make its position clear on whether it actually wanted a simple raise to the debt ceiling.
This heightened party politics by emboldening conservative Republicans – who don’t want to increase the US’s borrowing limit without also cutting federal spending in the process.
Democrats are likely to oppose any proposed deep cuts to federal spending.
Mr McConnell and Mr Ryan have repeatedly said the debt ceiling would be raised without issue.
“There is zero chance – no chance – we won't raise the debt ceiling,” Mr McConnell said in August.
Mr McConnell and Mr Trump are reported to be in a “political cold war”, according to the New York Times, and have apparently not spoken to each other in weeks. Relations between the pair appeared to frost after Mr McConnell failed to secure enough Republican votes for a bill that would have overhauled the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.
“The only problem I have with Mitch McConnell is that, after hearing Repeal & Replace for 7 years, he failed! That should NEVER have happened!” Mr Trump also tweeted on Thursday.
During an event in Kentucky on Thursday following Mr Trump's morning tweets, Mr McConnell did not discuss the apparent rift between the President and congressional Republicans. Instead, he spent a portion of time criticising the previous administration of former President Barack Obama.
“This new administration in Washington and this Congress is interested in getting America growing again,” Mr McConnell said.
The majority leader, in a statement released on Wednesday, had attempted to tamp down reports that his relationship with Mr Trump has soured.
“The President and I, and our teams, have been and continue to be in regular contact about our shared goals,” he said. “We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we are committed to advancing our shared agenda together and anyone who suggests otherwise is clearly not part of the conversation.”
