WASHINGTON – Accusing House Republicans of "hostage taking," the White House on Tuesday said President Joe Biden would veto a GOP plan that would raise the nation's debt limit but also cut spending – including some Democratic priorities.

The White House budget office said the plan the GOP-controlled House could vote on as soon as Wednesday is a "a reckless attempt to extract extreme concessions as a condition for the United States simply paying the bills it has already incurred."

The statement was not a surprise, given Biden's previous insistence that the debt limit be raised without conditions as it has been under past presidents, including Donald Trump.

But it shows how difficult it could be to resolve the debt ceiling standoff to avoid a calamitous default on the nation's financial obligations.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has criticized Biden for refusing discussions on raising the debt ceiling and cuts in the federal budget.

“For more than 80 days it’s been since I sat down with the president on Feb. 1 to negotiate, to work through this, and he’s ignored it,” McCarthy said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”

Biden wants future spending decisions to be negotiated separately.

"We've said that from the beginning of this process that, look, we'll have that conversation," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. "But when it comes to default, when it comes to their constitutional duty, that is something that they can do today."

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The Treasury Department has been using "extraordinary measures" to pay its bills since January, when the government bumped up against its $31.4 trillion borrowing limit. Officials estimated they could run out of options by early June.

McCarthy is betting Biden will have to come to the table if the House passes his plan, though it's not clear if he has the votes.

The “Limit, Save, Grow Act” McCarthy released last week would give the nation less than a year's worth of breathing room on the debt limit. In exchange, some spending would be capped.

The legislation would also:

• Eliminate Biden's student loan forgiveness plan.

• Add work requirements for some Medicaid beneficiaries and expand work rules for food stamp and cash assistance programs.

• End tax incentives for companies that invest in green energy.

• Rescind funding for 87,000 IRS agents outlined in Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, a move that would increase the deficit.

Jean-Pierre called the legislation "cruel."

McCarthy says Republicans "have the only plan that responsibly raises the debt ceiling and avoids a default."

Maureen Groppe is a White House correspondent for USA TODAY. Follow her on Twitter @mgroppe

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden threatens veto of GOP debt limit bill as House nears vote