“I’m optimistic they will sit down, as this White House always has, and that’s why we were able to accomplish so much in a bipartisan way last Congress.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) said on “Fox News Sunday” it’s a problem that the Biden administration won’t negotiate with Republicans.

Democrats have noted that Congress passed three increases on the debt ceiling under former President Donald Trump without demanding spending cuts.

“Take that off the board right now and look at ways that we have wasteful spending that we can be held accountable and responsible,” the West Virginia Democrat said.

On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the U.S. had reached its debt limit and would need to use extraordinary measures to avoid a default.

If the federal government exhausts its use of extraordinary measures for the first time, it could impact Americans who depend on government benefits and “would cause irreparable harm to the U.S. economy, the livelihoods of all Americans, and global financial stability,” Yellen has said.