Dem Leader Jeffries: House Republicans Are Intent On Crashing The Economy

Max Cohen at Punchbowl News reports comments from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) providing a pessimistic assessment of debt limit talks.

• Jeffries: “It’s increasingly clear to me that House Republicans are intent on crashing the economy and defaulting on our debt. That’s wrong. It will hurt everyday Americans in the brinksmanship.”
• With the Senate in recess and the White House negotiators declining to talk substantively to the press, much of the Democrat messaging on the debt ceiling has fallen Jeffries.
• Jeffries' comments reflect a more pessimistic tone on the Hill as negotiators continue discussions at the White House.
• Jeffries told reporters yesterday that Democrats are willing to accept a spending freeze as part of a deal but unwilling to consider the spending cuts restated as a condition by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) today.
• Jefferies: “As part of the effort to find common ground, we’re willing to consider freezing spending. That is not an extreme proposal. That is a reasonable proposal.”
• White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is scheduled to brief the press in around 15 mins: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/