This week in politics: Debt ceiling deal hits a snag; two congressional staffers attacked

Washington took one step forward this week on avoiding a potentially catastrophic default on the nation's debt. Then the two sides took two steps back before the weekend.

Negotiations on raising the debt ceiling came to an abrupt halt Friday as Republican negotiators walked out of a closed-door meeting with White House officials, leaving the two sides at a stalemate less than two weeks before a potential government default on June 1.

Earlier in the week, the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy appeared to make some progress with the speaker commending Biden for appointing two negotiators to accelerate talks.

But the White House is still resisting several Republican demands − several of which Biden aides believe go too far for enough Democrats in Congress to support for passage.

Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., who is leading negotiations for McCarthy, told reporters it's time to "press pause" on negotiations "because it's just not productive."

One major sticking point, according to a source familiar with talks, remains expanded work requirements for federal benefits such as food stamps that Republicans covet but President Joe Biden and Democrats oppose. Several Democratic lawmakers have characterized stricter work requirements for welfare programs as a nonstarter.

Biden said for months he wouldn't negotiate over raising the debt ceiling, but Republicans have successfully cornered him into entertaining GOP proposals for spending cuts, harsher work requirements for government aid and more in ongoing budget negotiations.

That's raising alarms with progressive Democrats, who are worried the White House might be conceding too much as the nation stares down a possible June 1 deadline for a default.

And even House Republicans are in a "trust, but verify" situation with McCarthy, according to Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D.

"Nobody has given their voting card to Kevin McCarthy. I think his stock is trading at a higher level within the Republican conference than it ever has. But one of the reasons that he's such an effective leader is that he knows nobody's just going to take his word for it," Johnson said to USA TODAY.

What happened this week in politics?

• Biden pushed back at new work requirements for welfare programs that Republicans want to include in a package to raise the debt ceiling.

• An man wielding a baseball bat entered Rep. Gerry Connolly's district office in Virginia and attacked two staff members. The victims were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and law enforcement identified the suspect as 49-year-old Xuan Kha Tran Pham of Fairfax, Virginia.

• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is planning to announce his long-expected 2024 presidential campaign by the end of the month.

• A shouting match broke out on the Capitol steps, with Democratic Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez calling on GOP Rep. George Santos to resign. Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene began chanting "impeach Biden" before Bowman responded.

• A former associate of Rudy Giuliani sued him for abuse of power and sexual harassment, claiming he hired her in 2019 for sexual favors.

Is Biden hitting pause on work requirements?

Biden on Wednesday pushed back on new work requirements for some government aid programs that Republicans are looking for in a debt ceiling package.

The president says any changes he supports would be insignificant, but he hasn't completely rejected the issue.

"I'm not going to accept any work requirements that's going to impact on the medical health needs of people," Biden said at the White House on Wednesday, noting he wouldn't support expanded work requirements "that go much beyond" the rules he supported as a senator.

Expanding work requirements for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and Medicaid have all emerged as hurdles in negotiations between Republicans and the White House.

Man attacks congressional staffers

Two staff members who work for Democratic Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after they were assaulted at the lawmaker's district office on Monday.

The man, holding a baseball bat, was seeking Connolly when he entered the office, the lawmaker said in a statement following the assault. Law enforcement officials identified the suspect as 49-year-old Xuan Kha Tran Pham of Fairfax, Virginia just hours after the attack.

"I have the best team in Congress," Connolly said in a statement. "The thought that someone would take advantage of my staff’s accessibility to commit an act of violence is unconscionable and devastating.”

Connolly's fellow lawmakers from Virginia and across the country quickly condemned the attack, even reaching across the aisle to send best wishes to the staffers.

The number of threats against members of Congress has more than doubled in the past five years. Though the number of threat investigations decreased slightly in 2022 from 2021, the inquiries are still historically high.

DeSantis' bid for 2024

DeSantis is expected to announce his 2024 presidential campaign by the end of the month, planning a public speech and announcement potentially in the Tampa area, sources told told USA TODAY.

The move would set up a showdown with former President Donald Trump, who is leading polls for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024. Abortion has emerged as an early battle between the two men, after Trump criticized the governor over Florida's new ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.

Asked about Trump's comments, DeSantis said "Protecting an unborn child when there's the detectable heartbeat is something that almost probably 99% of pro-lifers support."

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is campaigning for the party's nomination, and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., and former Vice President Mike Pence are also expected to announce their campaigns.

'He’s gotta go': Shouting match breaks out at the Capitol

On Wednesday evening on the Capitol steps, Bowman and Ocasio-Cortez urged Santos to resign after his recent federal indictment on charges of fraud, making false statement to Congress and more.

Santos pleaded not guilty to the charges. But as reporters tried to interview Santos outside the Capitol this week, Bowman yelled "Kick him out! He's got to go!"

"I can’t continue to address you guys because there’s a deranged member here, so I’m gonna walk," Santos told reporters.

But Greene soon chimed in with chants of "impeach Biden," before Bowman told her the Republican Party is "hanging by a thread." Bowman also urged her to take action on gun violence, while Greene told him to close the southern border.

The confrontation came after House lawmakers voted, largely along party lines, to refer a push to expel Santos to the House Ethics Committee.

Giuliani sued for alleged sexual harassment, accused of making racist comments

A former associate of Rudy Giuliani claimed in a new lawsuit that he hired her off-the-books for sexual favors.

Noelle Dunphy, who previously worked for Giuliani, also said she has tapes of him making sexist, racist and anti-Semitic comments.

"In addition to his sexual demands, Giuliani went on alcohol-drenched rants that included sexist, racist, and antisemitic remarks, which made the work environment unbearable," the lawsuit, filed in New York state court, said. "Many of these comments were recorded."

She also alleged he "callously tossed Ms. Dunphy aside, never paying her for the work she performed, and leaving her traumatized by the abuse she had suffered." Ted Goodman, an advisor to Giuliani, said the former New York City mayor and Trump attorney denies the allegations.

Contributing: Sarah Elbeshbishi, David Jackson, Rachel Looker and Candy Woodall, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Week in politics: No debt ceiling deal, DeSantis to announce 2024 bid