A conservative advocacy group launched a new ad campaign that aims to pressure President Joe Biden to negotiate with House Republicans to increase the debt limit as the United States inches closer to default.
The American Action Network announced a $250,000 cable ad buy on Monday that will air nationally on CNN and MSNBC this week. The ad features headlines from news outlets highlighting Biden's handling of the debt limit negotiations while a voice-over says, "Biden's refusal to negotiate could lead America to its very first default."
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The ad, by contrast, praises House Republicans for passing the Limit, Save, Grow Act, which raises the debt ceiling over the next year either by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024, whichever comes first. Among its $4.8 trillion in spending cuts, the bill would reduce the discretionary budget to pre-pandemic levels and cap budget increases by 1% each year.
“President Biden is driving America to its very first default, and there will be no one but him to blame,” AAN President Dan Conston said. “The House met the moment and passed popular reforms that avoid default and address America’s runaway spending. It’s time for the President to wake up to reality and get serious about a deal to avoid default.”
Biden has refused to negotiate with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in recent months, insisting that the GOP pass a "clean" debt ceiling measure. But in the wake of Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's warning that the nation could be unable to pay all of its obligations as early as June 1, Biden invited McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to meet at the White House on Tuesday for discussions on the budget.
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The AAN originally launched a six-figure ad buy in the wake of the House GOP passing the Limit, Save, Grow Act targeting vulnerable Democrats for voting against the measure. Polling from the group last month showed 50% of voters in 87 battleground congressional districts opposed increasing the debt ceiling without cutting government spending, while 37% supported the increase without spending cuts. A slight majority of those voters, 53%, also agreed with McCarthy's position on the debt ceiling, compared to 39% who agreed with Biden's.
Biden has refrained from attacking McCarthy personally ahead of their closely watched White House meeting on Tuesday. In an interview with MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle on Friday, Biden called McCarthy “an honest man.” Meanwhile, Senate Republicans, following McConnell's lead, have remained in lockstep with McCarthy's position that federal spending must be curbed in exchange for a debt ceiling hike.