Sunday shows preview: Debt limit talks continue slowly; Biden officially enters 2024 race

Slowly progressing efforts to raise the debt ceiling before a looming default deadline and President Biden’s official entry into the 2024 presidential race are likely to dominate the Sunday talk show circuit this weekend.

House Republicans passed legislation on Wednesday to raise the federal government’s borrowing limit, alongside sweeping spending cuts. The bill, which represents a major victory for Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), is virtually dead-on-arrival in the Democratic-majority Senate. 

However, it represents Republicans’ opening offer for debt ceiling negotiations, in which Biden has so far declined to participate. The president has remained steadfast in his call for a “clean” debt ceiling increase, or an increase not tied to any other policy changes or spending cuts.

“The President has made clear this bill has no chance of becoming law,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday, adding, “Congressional Republicans must act immediately and without conditions to avoid default and ensure that the full faith and credit of the United States is not put at risk. That is their job.”

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who will join ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday to discuss the debt ceiling fight, called on Biden to negotiate following the bill’s passage on Wednesday. 

“It’s long past time that President Biden gets off the sidelines and does his job and gets to the negotiating table with Speaker McCarthy, so we can solve this problem and put America on a stronger financial footing that will benefit all Americans,” Scalise said.

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) is also set to chat about the debt limit debate on ABC’s “This Week,” while Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) will weigh in on the issue on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Biden’s recently announced 2024 reelection bid will also likely be a major topic of discussion this weekend. The president officially announced his campaign on Tuesday, after months of hinting at his plans to run again.

The announcement, which sets up a potential rematch against former President Trump, took aim at the former president and his “MAGA” supporters in Congress. 

“Freedom,” Biden said in the video announcement. “Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans. That’s been the work of my first term — to fight for our democracy, to protect our rights, to make sure that everyone in this country is treated equally and that everyone is given a fair shot at making it.”

“But, you know, around the country, MAGA extremists are lining up to take those bedrock freedoms away,” he continued, later adding, “When I ran for President four years ago, I said we are in a battle for the soul of America — and we still are. The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or less freedom, more rights or fewer.”

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, who will join “Fox News Sunday” this weekend, slammed the president as “out-of-touch” following Tuesday’s campaign announcement.

“Biden is so out-of-touch that after creating crisis after crisis, he thinks he deserves another four years,” McDaniel said. “Republicans are united to beat Biden and Americans are counting down the days until they can send Biden packing.”

While Trump remains the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, several other candidates have lined up to challenge him, including former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson.

Ramaswamy will appear on CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, while Hutchinson will join CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week’s Sunday talk shows:

ABC’s “This Week” — Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.); Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.)

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas; Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican presidential candidate

CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.); Gary Cohn, vice chairman of IBM

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.); former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Republican presidential candidate

“Fox News Sunday” — Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.); Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel

Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” — Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis); John Ratcliffe, former Director of National Intelligence; former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.)