President Joe Biden on Friday panned the House Freedom Caucus and its list of demands that members say must be met before they'll agree to a vote on the national debt limit.
Biden said there is not "much to negotiate on" if they stick with their spending demands.
"If they say what they mean, they're going to keep the tax cuts from the last president," Biden said Friday while making remarks about the economy, reported The Hill. "No additional taxes on the wealthy — matter of fact, reducing taxes — and in addition to that, they're going to say we have to cut 25 percent of every program across the board. I don't know what there's much to negotiate on."
Biden added that the caucus' plans do not lower the national deficit by "one single penny," and that the Republicans' demands include 25% cuts on all spending except for defense.
Earlier Friday, caucus members outlined the conditions necessary to attain their vote for a raise on the national debt limit, including setting a cap on discretionary spending for 10 years, stopping Biden's student loan forgiveness plan, and pulling back the $80 billion approved late last year to expand the Internal Revenue Service.
They also said they are seeking a return of the millions of dollars in COVID-19 funds that have not been spent, and to pull back the climate-change spending that was approved last year, among other measures.
But Biden on Friday said that "the biggest threat to our recovery is the reckless talk" from MAGA Republicans.
"They're threatening to default on our national debt," Biden said. "I urge our extreme MAGA friends in Congress to put their threats aside and join me. … Let's finish the job."
Biden's $6.8 trillion budget, released Thursday, details plans for reducing the national debt by $3 trillion over the next 10 years while undoing former President Donald Trump's tax cuts, which Republicans will likely not approve.
Biden on Friday also said he was surprised that the Freedom Caucus wants to cut spending approved in last fall's Inflation Reduction Act to hire Internal Revenue Service agents, and said "we just have a very different value set."
Biden also on Friday said he's ready to negotiate with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, but criticized him because Republicans did not release their budget Thursday as Biden did.
"Why all of a sudden can't they get it done in March or maybe even April, maybe even May?" said Biden. "I don't know, it doesn't sound like they're on the level yet."
Biden's comments came while touting the latest Labor Department report showing the United States added 311,000 jobs in February, with the unemployment rate rising to 3.6%.
He also pointed out that inflation has dropped 30% from this past summer, and said gas prices dropped more than $1.50 a gallon since they peaked last year.