1:30 p.m. ET, October 1, 2023
Biden: “It’s time to end governing by crisis”
President Joe Biden speaks from the White House on Sunday, October 1.
Pool
“Folks, the truth is we shouldn’t be here in the first place. We shouldn’t have gotten here in the first place. It’s time to end governing by crisis and keep your word when you give it in the Congress,” Biden said.
“You keep your word, and I expect the Republican speaker and the Republicans in Congress to honor their word and keep the deal they made months ago when they tried to threaten us with — to almost international bankruptcy by not paying our debts,” Biden said.
Speakership fight: Biden refrained from weighing in on whether Democrats should help McCarthy keep the speakership, as conservatives attempt to oust him over his handling of the shutdown negotiations.
“I don’t have a vote on that matter. I’ll leave that to the leadership in the House,” Biden said.
Biden said he hoped this experience with the Republican conference would be a revealing one for McCarthy.
“I hope this experience for the speaker has been one of a personal revelation,” he said.
CNN’s Aileen Graef contributed reporting to this post.
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