Jul 10 2011
U.S. debt: elected officials struggle to find an agreement
The U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has sought reassurance on Sunday, while negotiations stretch again about raising the ceiling of U.S. debt: "The U.S. will not default, he repeated . There is no way to give more time in Congress. Leaders of major parties understand this. "
The aim of these negotiations is twofold: first to raise the ceiling of U.S. debt authorized, currently set at 14,300 billion and achieved since mid-May Without agreement on this point, the Treasury warned that the United States would find themselves in default of payment on 2 August. A scenario unique to cause global bond market crash.In an interview Sunday at the program "This Week", the new general director of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, has also warned the U.S. against the "truly deplorable consequences" of such a scenario for country and the world.
Elected officials must also agree on a comprehensive plan of savings, without which Democrats as Republicans admit that the U.S. debt would be difficult to sustain over time. An aging population should lead to higher mechanical effect of public debt, charged in the future by heavier spending on health and higher costs related to the pension system. However, the U.S. national debt has already reached the summits, looked with suspicion by the rating agencies.
Budget cuts
But elected officials have reviewed this weekend to lower their ambitions.The Republican chairman of the House of Representatives of the United States, John Boehner, said Saturday that he would not agree on the broad deficit-reduction plan advocated by Barack Obama. Instead of four trillion dollars in savings over ten years requested by the President of the United States and considered necessary by the rating agencies, is now on a more narrow the range of 2000-3000000000000 dollars, to be negotiated between the elected officials, said John Boehner guaranteed pay day loans.
"Despite good faith efforts to find a common base, the White House will not consent to a broader agreement on reducing the debt without raising taxes. So I think that the best approach might be to focus on a smaller, "said the Republican.
Electoral concerns
After days of deadlock, negotiations had yet appeared to unravel Thursday, after Obama met with leaders of both major parties in Congress. In granting budget cuts for health and social security, so far regarded as untouchable by the Democrats, Barack Obama has paved the way for an agreement that he would like "historic".
In return, the president was calling for concessions from the Republicans on the taxation of the rich. "We can not ask the middle class and senior citizens to bear alone the brunt of budget cuts, held Saturday, spokesman for the White House. Are also the richest pay their fair share, and we believe that Americans agree on this point. "
For their part, Republicans are reluctant to vote for one trillion tax increases that Barack Obama is calling for. In general, Republicans as Democrats are concerned that measures spending cuts or tax increases adopted in the savings plan does not cost them the next election.
Barack Obama would meet again in the early evening the leaders of the House of Representatives, where Republicans are the majority, and Senate. The White House said in the wake of the announcement of John Boehner she still hoped to get him back on his positions.
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