众议员詹姆斯·卡莫。周日，共和党人将提交他们自己的预算提案因为他们极力主张削减开支作为交换，你同意提高31.4万亿美元的债务上限。
“我们会提出一个计划。我们仍在讨论那个计划。我们正在我们的会议中进行激烈的辩论。这就是民主应该有的，”卡莫对美国广播公司“本周”节目主持人乔治·斯特凡诺普洛斯说，哀叹国家的债务不断增加。“必须有人在谈判桌上成为成年人，众议院共和党人很有希望成为那个人。”
当向共和党施压，要求他们围绕预算达成一致时——因为民主党批评共和党迄今为止缺乏一个计划——来者仍然乐观。
“我们将提出一个计划。这不一定要在7月份之前提出，”他说，指的是联邦政府将因目前无法借入更多资金而耗尽账单资金的大致截止日期。"显然，我希望这个计划能在下周提出来。"
关于支出和国债的辩论正在国会山激烈进行，因为根据财政部的说法，政府必须在夏季之前提高其借款限额，否则将面临债务违约的风险，这将相当于一次具有深远影响的历史性经济失败。
据美国财长珍妮特·耶伦(Janet Yellen)称，目前的债务上限是上个月达到的，自那以来，财政部一直依赖“非常措施”。
虽然众议院共和党人在议长凯文·麦卡锡的领导下表示，他们在众议院以多数票当选，以抵制“浪费的华盛顿支出”，但总统乔·拜登和其他民主党人坚持认为，必须无条件或无谈判地提高债务上限，允许政府支付已经发生的账单。
拜登和参议院多数党领袖查克·舒默也缩小了共和党人没有公开提议的范围。白宫表示，将在3月初提出自己的预算申请。
“你的计划在哪里，麦卡锡先生?他说他想要削减。我们问他是哪几个，”舒默在周日的“本周”节目中说。舒默暗示共和党人缺乏诚意，将寻求削减社会保障和医疗保险
美国总统拜登(Joe Biden)也让共和党人支持削减或修改这些项目，他提到了佛罗里达州参议员里克斯科特(Rick Scott)的一项提议，即每五年取消一次美国的所有支出。
卡莫周日驳斥了这一批评，他告诉斯特凡诺普洛斯:“总统继续试图吓唬老年人，这非常令人失望。这些对每个人都很重要。社会保障和医疗保险得到了两党的支持。如果有的话，我们需要支持这些计划。”
“花钱很容易。将民主党人团结在一起的是花钱。现在，当你到了我们必须削减开支的时候，事情就变得困难多了。“我们不会削减社会保障或医疗保险。我们对此非常清楚。”
除了支出辩论，还担任众议院监督和问责委员会主席的卡莫在被问及是否支持调查前总统唐纳德·特朗普的女婿、前白宫顾问贾里德·库什纳与沙特的商业往来时，为调查拜登家族的财务关系——特别是亨特·拜登——进行了辩护。
“我们知道，乔·拜登在总统竞选期间说过，他不知道他儿子的商业利益，他没有参与，也没有从中受益。我们有证据表明并非如此。这非常令人担忧，”卡莫说。
“我不反对民主党人和他们对上届政府的批评。我们这里有一个需要立法解决的问题，”他补充道。“这就是为什么拜登调查如此重要。对此有一个立法解决方案，而且可以是两党合作的。”
“我们需要有严格的道德法律，”卡莫说。“我们需要大幅增加美国的信息披露法律。所以我认为这项调查对于在问题失控之前解决问题非常重要。”
当被斯特凡诺普洛斯问及这一观点如何适用于库什纳和特朗普时，卡莫表示，委员会调查拜登夫妇的工作应该是优先事项。
“我认为可以有一个两党立法的解决方案，”卡莫重复道。“但在我们知道拜登家族的影响力交易涉及到多大程度之前，我们无法达到那个地步。”
Republicans are 'debating' their budget proposal ahead of possible debt ceiling standoff: Comer
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said Sunday that Republicans will submit their own budget proposal as they push for spending cuts in exchange for agreeing to raise the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling.
"We're gonna come forward with a plan. We're still debating that plan. We're having robust debate amongst our conference. And that's what democracy is supposed to be about," Comer told ABC "This Week" anchor George Stephanopoulos, lamenting the nation's rising debt. "Somebody's got to be the adult at the table, and House Republicans will hopefully be that."
When pressed on Republicans coalescing around a budget -- as Democrats criticize the lack of a GOP plan so far -- Comer remained bullish.
"We're going to be coming forward with a plan. This doesn't have to come forward before July," he said, referring to the approximate deadline when the federal government will run out of money for its bills because it cannot currently borrow more. "Obviously, I'd like for the plan to come forward next week."
The debate over spending and the national debt is raging on Capitol Hill as, according to the Treasury Department, the government must have its borrowing limit increased by the summer or risk defaulting on its obligations, which would amount to a historic economic failure with far-reaching consequences.
The current debt ceiling was reached last month and the Treasury Department has been relying on "extraordinary measures" since then, according to Secretary Janet Yellen.
While House Republicans, led by Speaker Kevin McCarthy, have said they were elected to the majority in the chamber to push back against "wasteful Washington spending," President Joe Biden and other Democrats insist the debt ceiling, which allows the government to pay for the bills already incurred, must be raised without conditions or negotiations.
Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have also narrowed in on the absence of a public proposal from Republicans. The White House has said it will make its own budget request in early March.
"Where is your plan, Mr. McCarthy? He says he wants cuts. We ask him which ones," Schumer said in a separate appearance on "This Week" on Sunday. Schumer suggested Republicans were being disingenuous and would seek cuts to Social Security and Medicare
President Joe Biden has also cast Republicans as in favor of cutting or altering the programs, pointing to a proposal from Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., that would sunset all U.S. spending every five years.
Comer rejected that criticism on Sunday, telling Stephanopoulos: "It's very disappointing that the president … would continue to try to scare seniors. These are important programs to everyone. There's bipartisan support for Social Security and Medicare. If anything, we need to shore those programs up."
"It's easy to spend money. What unites the Democrats is spending money. Now, when you get to the point to where we are now where we got to make cuts, it's a lot tougher," Comer said. "We're not going to cut Social Security or Medicare. We've been very clear about that."
Beyond the spending debate, Comer, who also chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, defended investigations into the Biden family's financial relationships -- particularly Hunter Biden -- when asked if he would support probing business dealings with Saudi Arabia by Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law and former White House adviser.
"We know that Joe Biden said during the presidential campaign that he had no knowledge of his son's business interests, he wasn't involved, he didn't benefit from them. We have evidence that would suggest otherwise. And this is very concerning," Comer said.
"I don't disagree with the Democrats and their criticism of the previous administration. We have a problem here that needs a legislative solution," he added. "That's why this Biden investigation is so important. There's a legislative solution to this, and it can be bipartisan."
"We need to have strict ethics laws," Comer said. "And we need to significantly increase the disclosure laws in America. So I think this investigation is going to be very important to fix a problem before it gets out of hand."
Asked by Stephanopoulos how that view should apply to the Kushners and Trumps, Comer indicated the committee's work looking into the Bidens should be a priority.
"I think that there can be a bipartisan legislation solution," Comer repeated. "But we can't get to that point until we know the extent of what the Biden family influence peddling involved."
