WH: Biden Will Not Accept ‘Wishlist’ of ‘MAGA Priorities’ in Debt Negotiations

President Joe Biden pushed back on Republican debt limit negotiators Saturday, calling the GOP effort to cut spending without any revenue increases an "extreme budget proposal."

White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt released a statement accusing Republicans of “taking the economy hostage,” adding their proposed cuts are ”galling.”

“Any serious budget negotiation must include discussion both of spending and of revenues, but Republicans have refused to discuss revenue,” he wrote, in a statement released from the president's trip to Japan for the G-7 meetings.

The White House is insisting Republicans to return to the negotiations table in “good faith,” he added. He accused Republicans of trying to sell a "wishlist of extreme MAGA priorities."

“There remains a path forward to arrive at a reasonable bipartisan agreement if Republicans come back to the table to negotiate in good faith. But President Biden will not accept a wishlist of extreme MAGA priorities that would punish the middle class and neediest Americans and set our economic progress back,” he wrote. 

Biden is currently in Japan attending the Group of Seven summit and it remains unclear when debt ceiling negotiations will resume. Speaking with reporters on Saturday in Hiroshima, Biden said he was not worried about debt ceiling talks and he's confident his team and Republicans will "get something done."

Republican leaders left talks with Biden's negotiation team on Friday. Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) told reporters there was a "pause," which McCarthy confirmed later, saying he is not compromising on the point of spending.

"Yesterday I really felt we were at the location where I could see the path. The White House is just — look, we can’t be spending more money next year. We have to spend less than we spent the year before. It’s pretty easy," he said. 

He later told Fox Business negotiations would resume that night, but he again insisted spending restrictions will be a sticking point.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned earlier this month that the U.S. could default on its debt as soon as June 1 if a deal can't be reached.