Jeffries Indicates Democrats are ‘Willing to Consider Freezing Spending’ at 2023 Levels

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) told reporters on Monday that he’s open to freezing the federal spending at current levels to secure a debt ceiling deal, while acknowledging the idea is not liked throughout his party.

“As part of the effort to find common ground, we’re willing to consider freezing spending at current levels,” Jeffries told reporters outside the Capitol.

House Dem Leader Jeffries: “We're willing to discuss freezing spending at current levels. That's an inherently reasonable position that many in our party might even be uncomfortable with.”

“But,” he adds, “President Biden recognizes way in a divided government situation.” pic.twitter.com/GhHOIkk03Z

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) May 22, 2023

He stated that freezing federal spending at the current levels is an “inherently reasonable position” but acknowledged that “many in our [Democrat] party might even be uncomfortable with.”

“But President Biden recognizes we’re in a divided government situation,” he added.

During negotiations about the debt ceiling with the White House, the administration offered Republicans a freeze on federal spending at the current levels (fiscal 2023), but McCarthy reportedly rejected the proposal.

A cap on federal spending has been one of the main focal points during the negotiations between the Republicans, looking to curb Democrats’ spending “addiction,” and the White House.

The House Republicans passed legislation last month to raise the debt ceiling, but it stuck in the Democrat-controlled Senate amid the negotiations. The legislation would raise the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion while tackling America’s national deficit, saving the government an estimated $4.8 trillion over the next ten years.

“A freeze is not less; a freeze is spending the same amount,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said Monday evening after leaving the negotiation talks with Biden at the White House.

WATCH: Exclusive: NRCC Releases Video Slamming Hakeem Jeffries for Claiming Border Crisis is “Fictional”:

NRCC

On Monday, Biden Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote a letter to McCarthy, and other congressional leaders, reaffirming her May 15 letter that indicated the U.S. could hit the debt ceiling “potentially as early” as June 1, next Thursday.

“I am writing to note that we estimate that it is highly likely that Treasury will no longer be able to satisfy all of the government’s obligations if Congress has not acted to raise or suspend the debt limit by early June, and potentially as early as June 1,” she wrote.

Additionally, McCarthy signaled that he might call off the House recess scheduled for next week to deal with the debt ceiling if there is no agreement by the time Congress is supposed to leave town later this week.

“Oh, yes. We’re going to stay and do our job,” McCarthy told reporters about calling off the “some or all” of the House’s recess. “The difference here is — when Republicans took over — we no longer have this proxy voting…“Whether you are with me or against me, I think the voices need to be here. That’s what the American people want.”

RELATED: Jeffries: Only Raising the Debt Limit for a Year ‘Is Irresponsible’:

Jacob Bliss is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jbliss@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter @JacobMBliss.