Why does Pence keep sabotaging Trump?
On Tuesday, Mike Pence, the former Vice President, acknowledged that former President Donald Trump could have been more effective in managing the federal debt.
In transcript provided by NBC, Pence stated, “The trillions of dollars that we appropriated for families and businesses and health care in this country during Covid — it’s what government’s for during a time of national emergency. But let me stipulate … we could have done a better job of controlling spending under our administration.”
Mike Pence’s evaluation, which was given in a private interview, coincided with a disagreement between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, as they held direct talks on how to prevent a federal default.
While Pence recognized the Trump administration’s involvement in the increase of the federal debt, he also pointed out that Biden’s administration has engaged in “runaway federal spending” during his two-plus years in office. Pence emphasized that it is the responsibility of the current president to negotiate a solution that avoids an impending economic crisis.
“I think it’s incumbent on President Biden to sit down today in good faith and find a way forward that will hold the full faith and credit of the United States,” Pence added.
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives, led by Republicans, approved a bill that would increase the debt ceiling while simultaneously reducing spending. However, President Biden and the Democratic Party in Congress are insisting that the limit should be increased through a separate bill that solely addresses this issue without any other provisions. The Treasury Department has predicted that without such legislation, the federal government will surpass its borrowing limit by as early as June 1st.
Although Pence has advocated for increased oversight of Social Security and Medicare spending in recent months, as a former member of the House GOP leadership, he supported McCarthy’s move to exempt those programs from proposed cuts in the House.
Pence declared, “I endorse that decision,” and affirmed that he shares McCarthy’s effort to link other spending reductions to an increase in the debt ceiling.