U.S. Politics

[Rick Plant]

More new polling is out showing President Biden with a commanding lead over DeSantis. Trump is not relevant since he'll be convicted of his 34 felonies and in prison well before the Republican National Convention, but Biden is dominating him in the polls too.

2024 Presidential Election Polls:

Redfield:

Biden (D): 48% (+15)
DeSantis (R): 33%

Echelon Insights:

Biden 50% (+11)
DeSantis 39%

Biden 51% (+13)
Trump 38%

The reason President Biden has a commanding lead in the polls, is because he has delivered for Americans on almost every campaign promise. He also has been able to work with Republicans to pass historic legislation. His historic economy and job creation has given people hope to have a better life. Congressman Ted Lieu helped pass this historic legislation that has brought America back from the 4 year Trump disaster.     


Ted Lieu @tedlieu

President Biden is one of the most effective Presidents in history:

-American Rescue Plan
-Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
-Bipartisan Chips & Science Act
-Bipartisan PACT Act
-Inflation Reduction Act

All of those laws have been protected and a default averted. Thank you @POTUS.

"When I ran for president I was told the days of bipartisanship were over. That Democrats and Republicans could no longer work together, but I REFUSED to believe that. Because America can never give in to that way of thinking." - President Joe Biden



Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1664773763978743808

https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/1664797543446855680

[Rick Plant]

The United States economy adds 339,000 jobs last month—this is huge, and completely crushes expectations.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics now reports that over 13 million jobs have been created since President Biden took office. 13.1 million to be exact. The most for any president in history.   

This is an amazing achievement that all of us should celebrate!

Another important statistic shows that President Biden in just 27 months office has created MORE jobs than the last 3 Republican presidents in 16 years!   

Republicans are terrible at job creation. In 16 years between 3 Republicans, they couldn't even manage to create 2 million jobs. Biden created that many in just a few months. These Republicans brought us recessions and the last 2 Bush and Trump gave us an economic crisis. Obama and Biden brought our economy back.   

13.1 million jobs = 27 months Biden
1.9 million jobs = 16 years Bush/G.W. Bush/Trump 

Almost 7 times as many Biden jobs as last 3 Republicans COMBINED!

[Rick Plant]

Biden takes victory lap in debt ceiling speech: 'The American people got what they needed'



On Friday evening, President Joe Biden gave an Oval Office address triumphantly announcing the bipartisan deal to lift the debt ceiling — and touting the latest reports showing the strength of the economy.

"This is vital," said Biden. "Because it is essential to the progress we have made over the last few years. Keeping full faith and credit of the United States of America. Passing a budget that continues to grow our economy and reflects our values as a nation. That is why I am speaking to you tonight. To report on the crisis averted and what we are doing to protect America's future. Passing this budget agreement was critical."

The consequences of a default, said Biden, would have been disastrous, from 8 million people losing their jobs, to interest rates skyrocketing and America's credit rating being devalued, which "would have made everything from mortgages to car loans to funding for the government much more expensive. It would have taken years to climb out of the hole."

"Nobody got everything they wanted, but the American people got what they needed," said Biden. "We averted an economic crisis and economic collapse. We are cutting spending and bringing the deficits down at the same time. We are protecting important priorities from Social Security to Medicare to Medicaid to veterans to the transformational investments in infrastructure and clean energy."

Biden went on to thank House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), as well as all other congressional leaders, for allowing the deal to come together.

"Over the next 10 years the deficit will be cut by more than $1 trillion," said Biden. "That will be on top of a record $1.7 trillion I already cut the deficit in my first two years in office. It is clear we are all in a much more fiscally responsible course than the one I inherited when I took office four years ago."

But Biden also went out of his way to jab Republicans, noting that their opening proposal would have cut vital programs including veterans' health care, and "would have cut healthcare for up to 21 millions Americans on Medicaid."

"We are investing in America and our people and our future," said Biden. "We have created over 13 million new jobs. More than 800,000 manufacturing jobs. Where is it written that America cannot lead the world in manufacturing? Unemployment is at 3.7 percent. More Americans are working today than ever in the history of this country. Inflation has dropped 10 straight months in a row. In this debate, I refused to put what was responsible for all of this economic progress on the chopping block."

"I've never been more optimistic about the future," Biden concluded. "We just need to remember who we are. We are the United States of America. And there's nothing — nothing we can't do, when we do it together."

Watch the speech at this link: https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1664769145223741443



Sarah Huckabee Sanders targeted in lawsuit over book ban



A coalition of Arkansas book enthusiasts is suing the state and its Republican governor over a restrictive new law that threatens librarians with jail time for making banned books available to minors, The Daily Beast reports.

The law would “subject librarians and booksellers to criminal charges if they provide 'harmful' materials to minors,” according to The Associated Press.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in March signed Arkansas Act 372 into law. The measure is expected to go into effect Aug. 1.

The Arkansas Library Association and the Central Arkansas Library System are among the groups who filed the lawsuit jointly on Friday.

Critics say the law is extreme and unenforceable.

Arkansas Library Association President Carol Coffey is among those who have assailed the controversial measure.

“Library workers across Arkansas are rightly concerned that the overly broad edicts of Act 372 will prevent them from serving their patrons as they have always done, by providing a wide variety of materials to fill their information needs, and perhaps more importantly, materials that allow each child to see themselves in the books in their library,” Coffey said in a statement.

“The primary mission of the Arkansas Library Association is to support libraries and library workers and to defend intellectual freedom. We join in this lawsuit because it is the best way for us to fulfill our mission.”

The lawsuit alleges the new law violates the state’s constitution’s 1st and 14th amendment protections.

The Arkansas law follows a national trend.

Attempts to ban or restrict access to books at public libraries set a record in 2022 with more than 1,200 such challenges, according to the American Library Association, more than double of what was seen the previous year.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

“The last two years have been exhausting, frightening, outrage inducing.”

Read the full article here: https://www.thedailybeast.com/librarians-sue-over-sarah-huckabee-sanders-arkansas-book-ban



Another blow to DeSantis: Disney tourism numbers expected to be unaffected by his crusade



Disney is reportedly expected to be largely unaffected by the repeated attacks of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

DeSantis has turned all his political guns blazing on Disney after the entertainment giant dared to criticize his legislation prohibiting any mention of LGBTQ people in most elementary school classrooms. He has repeatedly attacked the corporation in speeches, took over the board that administers their special taxing district, and threatened to toll the roads into the Walt Disney World resort complex, or even build a state prison next to it.

But it doesn't seem like his threats are having much effect on Disney's bottom line, or tourism numbers, reported Orlando Weekly on Friday.

"In a recent interview with Travel Weekly, [Dana] Young, the president and CEO of Visit Florida, was asked about several topics that could have a negative bearing on the state," reported Jim Turner. "Included were the legal and political battles that sprung up after Disney opposed a controversial 2022 law that restricts instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. The law was titled by supporters as the 'Parental Rights in Education' bill but is derided by critics as 'don’t say gay.'"

“That is a business decision that we don't feel impacts the tourism product that Disney has,” said Young. “Disney has been a longtime partner of Visit Florida. They continue to be a valued partner of Visit Florida, buying into a lot of our programs. People love Disney, they love visiting Disney, and they will continue to go to Disney."

While Disney tourism may be expected to continue to thrive, Disney itself has still responded with a lawsuit against DeSantis, arguing the governor's actions have discriminated against their freedom of speech.

However, in a wrinkle this week, the judge overseeing that case recused himself due to owning stock in Disney, resulting in the case being reassigned to another judge appointed by former President Donald Trump.

Read More Here: https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/people-love-disney-gov-desantis-fight-with-disney-not-expected-to-affect-tourism-numbers-34326565

[Rick Plant]

Biden addresses nation after avoiding catastrophic default: ‘The stakes could not have been higher’



Washington CNN — President Joe Biden declared bipartisanship alive and well during his first ever Oval Office address on Friday, pointing to the compromise measure that raises the federal borrowing limit and avoids a catastrophic default as evidence his sometimes-mocked views of Washington are not a thing of the past.

Addressing the nation from behind the Resolute Desk, Biden sought to harness the vintage presidential setting to make the case for a style of governing he insisted was not only still relevant but essential to avoiding disaster.

Encouraging Americans to “treat each other with dignity and respect” and to “stop shouting,” he said the package he brokered with Republicans ensures economic progress going forward and amounts to a “crisis averted” – even though it sparked fury from some in his own party.

And he vowed to continue working toward priorities that were left out – including raising taxes on the wealthy – in an implicit reelection message.

"Passing this budget agreement was critical. The stakes could not have been higher,” he said.

It’s been several years since Americans have witnessed the type of seated, direct-to-camera speech Biden delivered Friday. Past presidents have employed the Oval Office to deliver statements during moments of crisis, like after the terror attacks on 9/11 or when the space shuttle Challenger exploded.

Biden was speaking not amid a crisis but having avoided one. Yet by evoking a style of speech used by presidents for decades, he seemed to also harken to an era of government that did not look down on attempts at compromise.

“I know bipartisanship is hard and unity is hard, but we can never stop trying, because at moments like this one, the ones we just faced where the American economy and the world economy is at risk of collapsing, there is no other way,” he said in his speech.

The decision to speak in the most formal of presidential settings came after weeks of fraught negotiations over the borrowing limit. The deal ultimately struck between Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy raises the debt ceiling for two years, freezes domestic spending, imposes some new work requirements on food stamps and alters certain energy permitting rules.

Biden had intentionally avoided declaring victory after brokering the agreement, partly in the hopes of securing the necessary Republican votes for the bill to pass.

That tactic appeared to work; the measure cleared the House and Senate in bipartisan fashion. Biden said he planned to sign the bill Saturday and called the engagements with his Republican interlocutors “respectful.”

He began his evening address by underscoring his efforts to work across the aisle to secure a positive outcome – an objective he noted had been met with intense skepticism.

“When I ran for president, I was told that the days of bipartisanship is over and Democrats and Republicans could no longer work together. I refuse to believe that,” Biden said. “The only way American democracy can function is through compromise and consensus.”

The president said neither Republicans nor Democrats “got everything they wanted but the American people got what they needed.”

“We averted an economic crisis and an economic collapse,” he said.

The Treasury Department has said it will run out of cash to pay its bills in full and on time on Monday. Economists had warned of severe consequences of a national default.

Despite the bill’s passage, the legislation known as the Bipartisan Budget Agreement had detractors on both the left and right. Many liberals and conservatives voted against it, and the most right-wing lawmakers have raised the prospect of trying to oust McCarthy from his leadership role for what they say were insufficient spending cuts.

On the left, progressive Democrats balked at some of the new work requirements added to the bill, though an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office showed the measure would likely keep the number of Americans on food stamps at roughly the same levels. The bill lifted work requirements for veterans and those experiencing homelessness.

Democratic critics have also voiced outrage at approval included in the bill of a natural gas pipeline through West Virginia and Virginia.

Biden and his aides have argued they were successfully able to stave off the most extreme Republican positions to arrive at a bill that ultimately avoided economic disaster.

Through it all, some Democrats have grumbled at the president’s approach to the situation. While Biden initially said he would not negotiate over raising the debt ceiling, demanding only a “clean increase,” he ultimately entered into talks with McCarthy that tied the borrowing limit to budget cuts.

Others encouraged Biden to use the 14th Amendment, which states the US debt “shall not be questioned,” to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling. Biden said it was possible to explore that option in the future, but it was too risky to deploy with the imminent threat of default.

“Nothing would have been more catastrophic” than a default, Biden said in his remarks.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/02/politics/biden-debt-oval-office-address/index.html


President Biden Addresses the Nation on Averting Default and the Bipartisan Budget Agreement

Watch:

[Rick Plant]

Ron DeSantis is a total buffoon who is a cheap imitation of Donald Trump and is cracking under the pressure of a national campaign. He's so insecure he has to change the pronunciation of his last name!


Ron DeSantis defends changing last name pronunciation after ridicule



You can call him DEH-santis or DEE-santis. Ron says: just call me winner.

The Florida governor is defending his curious decision to change how he pronounces his own last name just as he launches his 2024 Republican presidential campaign.

“It’s ridiculous, these stupid things,” DeSantis said Thursday when asked about the issue. “Listen, the way to pronounce my last name: Winner.”

DeSantis has mostly, but not always, used the more well-known “DEH-Santis” during his two decades in politics.

For reasons that remain unclear, the Florida governor started referring to himself as “Ron DEE-Santis” in recent days as he launched his GOP presidential bid. Polls put DeSantis in a strong but distant second place to former President Donald Trump.

Never one to miss out on a chance to ding his opponent, Trump brought up the discrepancy at campaign events in Iowa.

Trump used the switch to needle DeSantis, whom he accuses of being a disloyal phony and a Republican in name only.

“He is demanding that people call him DeeeSantis, rather than DaSantis,” Trump said on his social media site. “Actually, I like ‘Da’ better, a nicer flow, so I am happy he is changing it.”

Playing de-fense, DeSantis hit back at Trump, calling him “juvenile” for mentioning the pronunciation issue and suggesting that Trump’s penchant for playground insults was part of the reason he lost the White House in 2020.

“He alienated too many voters for things that really don’t matter,” DeSantis said Thursday at a campaign stop in New Hampshire.

Pundits say DeSantis will have to keep punching back at Trump about matters serious and trivial.

DeSantis has maintained a wide lead of his own over the rest of the GOP pack, but that lead for second place is about to get tested as former Vice President Mike Pence and ex-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie are expected to jump into the race next week.

© New York Daily News



DeSantis 'the ultimate performative politician' on outrage but not 'in-person performance': report



Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is the best at performative politics when it comes to beating down policies perceived as "woke," but his performances falter when it comes to the in-person aspects of professional politics, according to a new report.

The mirage of DeSantis was different than the real man when he appeared in the "fidgety flesh," writes Mark Leibovich, a staff writer at The Atlantic. Leibovich reportedly covered DeSantis' recent appearances at various events in New Hampshire.

"What does the on-paper promise of DeSantis look like in practice? DeSantis has performed a number of these in-person chores in recent days, after announcing his presidential campaign on May 24 in a glitchy Twitter Spaces appearance with Elon Musk," Leibovich wrote on Saturday. "As I watched him complete his rounds in New Hampshire on Thursday—visits to a VFW hall, an Elks Club, and a community college, in addition to the American Legion post—the essential duality of his campaign was laid bare: DeSantis is the ultimate performative politician when it comes to demonstrating outrage and 'kneecapping' various woke abuses—but not so much when it comes to the actual in-person performance of politics."

In his New Hampshire visits, DeSantis reportedly repeated "woke" more than a dozen times at each event stop, yet strayed away from key topics of the day, including gun violence, the number one cause of death for children in the United States.

"His whole act can feel like a clunky contrivance—a forced persona railing against phony or hyped-up outrages. He can be irascible," Leibovich wrote. "Steve Peoples, a reporter for the Associated Press, approached DeSantis after a speech at a VFW hall in Laconia and asked the governor why he hadn’t taken any questions from the audience. 'Are you blind?' DeSantis snapped at Peoples."

Leibovich continued:

“'Politics is not about entertainment,' DeSantis said in all of his New Hampshire speeches, usually at the end. He might be trying to prove as much."

Read More Here: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2023/06/ron-desantis-2024-presidential-election-campaign-florida/674274/

[Rick Plant]

Kyrsten Sinema is one of the most corrupt members of the Senate. She takes in millions of dollars from PACS and billionaires. Her "NO votes" to tax billionaires allowed the top 1% to keep paying less in taxes than a nurse or a cop.


Sen. Kyrsten Sinema took Wall Street money while killing tax on wealthy investors
https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2022/08/13/sinema-took-wall-street-money-while-killing-tax-on-investors/10321806002/

How Wall Street wooed Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and preserved its multibillion-dollar carried interest tax break
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/08/09/how-wall-street-wooed-sen-kyrsten-sinema-and-preserved-its-multi-billion-dollar-carried-interest-tax-break.html


Kyrsten Sinema has taken $2.5 million from corporate PACs since 2021

MAY 24, 2022



At the same time that Arizona Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema was standing in opposition to Democratic efforts to raise taxes on corporations, she was raking in campaign cash from many of the companies lobbying against the tax increases — corporate PACs have given Sinema more than $2.5 million since 2021, more than one out of every three dollars she’s raised. 

An Arizona Mirror analysis of campaign finance reports between Jan. 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022 for both Sinema’s personal campaign and her leadership political action committee, Getting Stuff Done, show that her prodigious fundraising is powered by corporate money.

Her reports over that span shows she accepted just under $2 million for her campaign and $567,000 for her PAC. (Her PAC has drawn media scrutiny for spending thousands of dollars on wine, paying for a personal trip to Europe and a $34,500 payment to rent a resort in Sedona.) These numbers don’t reflect individual contributions from corporate executives or other employees at companies whose PACs gave her money.

In all, her campaign has raised more than $5.8 million in that same time, while her leadership PAC has brought in slightly less than $1.1 million. Her committees have received 36% of their combined money from corporate PACs.

Sinema received checks from businesses like Amazon, Honeywell, Intel and Merck, among many others, that have been actively fighting off Democratic efforts to reverse the 2017 tax cuts on businesses that Republicans passed while they were in power. Those groups are all part of The Business Roundtable, a coalition of prominent corporate leaders that argue increasing taxes is a threat to their future plans.

Sinema’s opposition to undoing those 2017 tax cuts is also a far cry from her campaign in 2018 against Martha McSally, when she attacked her opponent for supporting Donald Trump’s “huge tax breaks for the wealthy and large corporations at the expense of our middle class.”

Accepting millions of dollars from corporate PACs -- mostly from pharmaceutical companies, public utilities, banks and hedge funds -- puts her at odds with Mark Kelly, Arizona’s other senator.

Kelly, a first-term Democrat, has sworn off accepting corporate PAC money and called for them to be banned entirely. His message is summed up in a recent ad his campaign has placed on social media: “I don’t take money from corporate PACs because I know who I’m fighting for.” Kelly also introduced a bill with Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff to ban for-profit corporate PACs altogether.

Sinema’s office refused to answer specific questions for this story, but pushed back on whether she is actually opposed to raising the corporate tax. Her campaign did not respond.

Communications director Hannah Hurley said when Sinema told business leaders at a private Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry event that, “You all know, the entire country knows, that I'm opposed to raising the corporate minimum tax rate,” what she really meant was she is opposed to raising tax rates on corporations — President Joe Biden sought to raise the corporate rate from 21% to 28% — but is still in favor of setting the corporate minimum tax rate to 15%, ensuring that profitable companies aren’t able to dodge paying taxes through loopholes and other measures.

Even so, Sinema has stymied legislation or proposals she says she supports because she has steadfastly refused to end or change the filibuster, which requires the support of 60 senators for any legislation to receive a formal vote. In a Senate that is split 50-50, with Democrats holding the tie-breaking vote in Vice President Kamala Harris, that means any legislation that doesn’t have the backing of at least 10 Republicans cannot advance.

On May 23, activists protested Sinema in Tucson for her stance on the filibuster and questioned whether she was beholden to her “corporate donors” or the “people, democracy and planet.” Hurley did not address whether Sinema prioritizes her corporate donors over her constituents.

Sinema has the benefit of not being up for re-election until 2024, while Kelly is up this year. But Sinema also has so angered Democrats that the party censured her earlier this year and she is likely to face a primary challenger. Many Democrats believe that U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego, a progressive who just had the best fundraising quarter in his political career, will run against her.

Sinema has already received scrutiny for some of her notable campaign contributors in the past, including several billionaires who backed Donald Trump’s presidential bids.

She has been a thorn in the side of her party since Democrats won control of both congressional chambers and the presidency, mostly due to her unwillingness to kill the filibuster. And her opposition to key parts of President Joe Biden’s agenda, along with that of West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, has prevented much of the administration’s sweeping policy proposals from passing.

Democratic political consultant Tony Cani told the Arizona Mirror that, while Sinema’s corporate backing isn’t popular in Democratic politics, it’s unlikely to change how people view her. At the end of the day, Democratic voters have already made up their minds, and those opinions are unlikely to change barring something drastic happening, he said.

“I personally think that the only thing that saves her from a viable primary challenge is if no credible Democrat decides to run against her,” Cani said.

When corporations give money to candidates, they're saying they believe in the same basic principles — in Sinema’s case, that she supports their interests. Cani likened it to anti-LGBTQ corporations contributing to campaigns of politicians or any corporation giving money to an “insurrectionist.”

“​​Voters should take into account which corporate PACs elected officials are taking money from, and consumers should take into account which elected officials corporations are giving to, because they are making a definitive statement,” he told the Mirror.

Cani also said candidates like Kelly are waving away corporate PAC money because it’s not as transparent as the money coming directly from individuals.

From Sinema’s Getting Stuff Done PAC, at least two scandal-plagued contributions stood out raising questions about why she accepted such money and what either has to do with Arizona’s needs.

In November, she raised $5,000 from Pacific Gas & Electric, a California utility company that just two months earlier was charged with manslaughter for starting a wildfire that killed four people. The company, which is the largest public utility in the country, also pleaded guilty to 84 counts of involuntary manslaughter in 2020 for a similar reason.

Neither Sinema’s office nor her campaign would answer questions about the contribution.

But the other standout contribution came from the multi-level marketing firm Herbalife, which gave Sinema’s PAC $5,000. Herbalife admitted to engaging in criminal activity for a decade and paid a fine of $123 million in 2020 for criminal corruption and fraud. The company also contributed another $2,500 directly to Sinema’s campaign coffers.

Sinema previously faced scrutiny for accepting money from Herbalife and other MLMs because she took their money while those companies were working to kill a Democratic-sponsored labor bill called the PRO Act. Local business groups called on both Sinema and Kelly to oppose the legislation last year, which would wipe out Arizona’s “right-to-work” law that prohibits mandatory union membership.

She faced additional scrutiny last year when she hosted a private fundraiser with business leaders who were strongly opposed to Biden’s Build Back Better proposal. She charged up to $5,800 for the event which lasted 45 minutes on Sept. 27, 2021. Campaign finance records show she raised $82,000 for her campaign and another $47,500 for her PAC between Sept. 27 and Sept. 30 from PACs alone.

It was one of several fundraising events she held that correlated with moving legislation the corporations boosting her campaign coffers were against.

https://www.azmirror.com/2022/05/24/kyrsten-sinema-has-taken-2-5-million-from-corporate-pacs-since-2021/

[Rick Plant]

President Biden @POTUS

The bipartisan budget agreement protects my Investing in America agenda.



The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is rebuilding America.
The CHIPS and Science Act is fueling a manufacturing boom.
The Inflation Reduction Act is boosting clean energy, making our tax system fairer, and lowering costs.

All of it is protected by our bipartisan budget agreement.



Because of my Administration’s investments, we’ve made historic economic progress.
 
So when it came time to negotiate on the budget, the last thing I’d do is let that progress end up on the chopping block.

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1664840731293302784

As I said in my inaugural address: without unity, there is no peace – only bitterness and fury.
 
Our bipartisan budget agreement represents what happens when we join forces.

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1665078522287730691

I just signed into law a bipartisan budget agreement that prevents a first-ever default while reducing the deficit, safeguarding Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, and fulfilling our scared obligation to our veterans.
 
Now, we continue the work of building the strongest economy in the world.




Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1665060615000322050

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1665060615000322050


Biden signs debt ceiling bill that pulls US back from brink of unprecedented default

WASHINGTON (AP) — With just two days to spare, President Joe Biden signed legislation on Saturday that lifts the nation’s debt ceiling, averting an unprecedented default on the federal government’s debt.

It was a decidedly low-key denouement to a monthslong drama that unnerved financial markets at home and abroad and caused anxious retirees and social service organizations to make contingency plans in case the country was unable to pay all its bills.

Instead of holding a public ceremony with lawmakers from both parties — showcasing the bipartisanship that Biden had cited in an Oval Office address on Friday evening — the president signed the legislation in private in a reflection of the tight deadline facing the nation’s leaders.

The Treasury Department had warned that the country would start running short of cash on Monday, which would have sent shockwaves through the U.S. and global economies.

The White House released a picture of the president signing the legislation at the Resolute Desk. In a brief statement, Biden thanked Democratic and Republican congressional leaders for their partnership, a cordial message that contrasted with the rancor that initially characterized the debt debate.

“No matter how tough our politics gets, we need to see each not as adversaries, but as fellow Americans,” Biden said in a video message released after the signing. He said it was important to “stop shouting, lower the temperature, and work together to pursue progress, secure prosperity and keep the promise of America for everybody.”

The standoff began when Republicans refused to raise the country’s borrowing limit unless Democrats agreed to cut spending. Eventually, the White House began weeks of intense negotiations with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., to reach a deal.

The final agreement, passed by the House on Wednesday and the Senate on Thursday, suspends the debt limit until 2025 — after the next presidential election — and restricts government spending. It gives lawmakers budget targets for the next two years in hopes of assuring fiscal stability as the political season heats up.

Raising the nation’s debt limit, now at $31.4 trillion, will ensure that the government can borrow to pay debts already incurred.

After Congress passed the legislation, Biden used the occasion to deliver his first speech from the Oval Office as president on Friday.

“No one got everything they wanted but the American people got what they needed,” he said, highlighting the “compromise and consensus” in the deal. “We averted an economic crisis and an economic collapse.”

Biden touted the achievements of his first term as he runs for reelection, including support for high-tech manufacturing, infrastructure investments and financial incentives for fighting climate change. He also highlighted ways he blunted Republican efforts to roll back his agenda and achieve deeper cuts.

“We’re cutting spending and bringing deficits down at the same time,” Biden said. “We’re protecting important priorities from Social Security to Medicare to Medicaid to veterans to our transformational investments in infrastructure and clean energy.”

Biden’s remarks were the most detailed comments from the Democratic president on the compromise he and his staff negotiated.

Biden praised McCarthy and his negotiators for operating in good faith, and all congressional leaders for ensuring swift passage of the legislation. “They acted responsibly, and put the good of the country ahead of politics,” he said.

In addition to restrictions on spending, the 99-page bill changes some policies, including imposing new work requirements for older Americans receiving food aid and greenlighting an Appalachian natural gas pipeline that many Democrats oppose. Some environmental rules were modified to help streamline approvals for infrastructure and energy projects — a move long sought by moderates in Congress.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the legislation could actually expand total eligibility for federal food assistance, with the elimination of work requirements for veterans, homeless people and young people leaving foster care.

The legislation also bolsters funds for defense and veterans, cuts back some new money for the Internal Revenue Service and rejects Biden’s call to roll back Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and the wealthy to help cover the nation’s deficits. But the White House said the IRS’ plans to step up enforcement of tax laws for high-income earners and corporations would continue.

The agreement imposes an automatic overall 1% cut to spending programs if Congress fails to approve its annual spending bills — a measure designed to pressure lawmakers of both parties to reach consensus before the end of the fiscal year in September.

In both chambers, more Democrats backed the legislation than Republicans, but both parties were critical to its passage. In the Senate the tally was 63-36 including 46 Democrats and independents and 17 Republicans in favor, 31 Republicans along with four Democrats and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats opposed.

The vote in the House was 314-117.

© THE ASSOCIATED PRESS