UPDATED 6:35 P.M.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden declared a “crisis averted” on Friday in his first address from the White House’s Oval Office, as he touted the passage of a bill to raise the U.S. debt ceiling and curb spending.
Biden, a Democrat, said he would sign the bill into law on Saturday, concluding months of uncertainty and averting what would have been a first-ever U.S. default as early as June 5.
“It was critical to reach an agreement, and it’s very good news for the American people. No one got everything they wanted. But the American people got what they needed,” Biden said while sitting at the historic “Resolute Desk” in the presidential office.
After nail-biting negotiations, both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed a bill this week that lifts the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling.
Biden said to preserve U.S. economic progress it was critical to keep the country’s full faith and credit in tact. The new law averted a crisis, he said.
“The stakes could not have been higher,” Biden said.
The president, who is running for re-election, noted other bipartisan bills he has signed and offered praise to Kevin McCarthy, the Republican speaker of the House of Representatives, who was his primary negotiating partner.
“The final vote in both chambers was overwhelming,” Biden said. The Senate voted 63 to 36 to approve the bill, and the House 314 to 117.
Fitch Ratings said on Friday the United States’ “AAA” credit rating would remain on negative watch, despite the agreement that will allow the government to meet its obligations.
U.S. presidents have generally reserved an address from the Oval Office for the most significant, and dramatic of events: the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, for example, or the Challenger space shuttle explosion.
The White House said Biden was making his remarks there because of the gravity of the situation had the debt ceiling not been raised.
Former President Ronald Reagan spoke to the nation from the Oval Office after the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986; and former President George W. Bush used the venue to address the country after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Former President Barack Obama made remarks from the Oval Office in the aftermath of the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast.
Biden, who came into office in January 2021, has spoken before to the nation during ‘primetime’ hours, including his State of the Union addresses from the Capitol and a speech from the White House East Room during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the Friday night address is his first from the Oval Office, a setting that highlights the power and authority of the presidency, as Biden seeks a second term against a growing field of Republican candidates.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason and Trevor Hunnicutt; Editing by Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell and Diane Craft)
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden will declare a “crisis averted” on Friday in his first address from the White House’s Oval Office to tout the passage of a bill to raise the U.S. debt ceiling and curb spending.
Biden, a Democrat, will speak at 7 p.m. ET (2300 GMT) about the issue, which has dominated Washington and roiled investors in recent weeks but had little impact to date on most American voters.
After nail-biting negotiations, both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed a bill that lifts the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, averting what would have been a first-ever default as early as June 5.
“Essential to all the progress we’ve made in the last few years is keeping the full faith and credit of the United States and passing a budget that continues to grow our economy and reflects our values as a nation,” Biden will say, according to excerpts released ahead of time by the White House.
“And that’s why I’m speaking to you tonight. To report on a crisis averted and what we are doing to protect America’s future. Passing this budget agreement was critical. The stakes could not have been higher.”
Fitch Ratings said on Friday the United States’ “AAA” credit rating would remain on negative watch, despite the agreement that will allow the government to meet its obligations.
U.S. presidents have generally reserved an address from the Oval Office for the most significant, and dramatic of events: the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, for example, or the Challenger space shuttle explosion.
The White House said Biden was making his remarks there because of the gravity of the situation had the debt ceiling not been raised.
Former President Ronald Reagan spoke to the nation from the Oval Office after the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986; and former President George W. Bush used the venue to address the country after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Former President Barack Obama made remarks from the Oval Office in the aftermath of the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast.
Biden, who came into office in January 2021, has spoken before to the nation during ‘primetime’ hours, including his State of the Union addresses from the Capitol and a speech from the White House East Room during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the Friday night address is his first from the Oval Office, a setting that highlights the power and authority of the presidency, as Biden seeks a second term against a growing field of Republican candidates.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell and Diane Craft)
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. presidents have generally reserved an address from the White House’s Oval Office for the most significant, and dramatic of events: the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, for example, or the Challenger space shuttle explosion.
On Friday, however, President Joe Biden plans to make his first Oval Office speech after more than two years as president about a crisis that was averted.
Biden, a Democrat, will speak at 7 p.m. ET (2300 GMT) about a topic that has dominated Washington and roiled investors in recent weeks, but had little impact to date on most American voters: the debt ceiling.
After nail-biting negotiations, both the Senate and the House of Representatives passed a bill that lifts the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, averting what would have been a first-ever default as early as June 5.
White House officials declined to provide details about Biden’s remarks, but he is expected to emphasize the importance of Democrats and Republicans ignoring their deep policy and cultural divides, after reaching the compromise deal with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
“Our work is far from finished, but this agreement is a reminder of what’s possible when we act in the best interests of our country,” Biden said in a written statement earlier on Friday.
Former President Ronald Reagan spoke to the nation from the Oval Office after the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle in 1986; former President George W. Bush used the venue to address the country after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Former President Barack Obama made remarks from the Oval Office in the aftermath of the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf Coast.
Biden, who came into office in January 2021, has spoken before to the nation during ‘primetime’ hours, including his State of the Union addresses from the Capitol and a speech from the White House East Room during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the Friday night address is his first from the Oval Office, a setting that highlights the power and authority of the presidency, as Biden seeks a second term against a growing field of Republican candidates.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Heather Timmons and Alistair Bell)
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