U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarty (R-Calif.) left a meeting with President Joe Biden on Wednesday feeling optimistic regarding the chances of an agreement between the White House and Congress to avoid a government default.
“I don’t want to put any words in his mouth. We had an hour of conversation about this that I thought was a very good discussion, and we walked out saying we would continue the discussion,” McCarthy told reporters at the White House. “And I think there is an opportunity here to come to an agreement on both sides.”
Speaker McCarthy said that although he and President Biden have different perspectives regarding the debt ceiling, he would not go into any specifics, simply saying that he would not be willing to negotiate through the press.
President Biden and White House officials have noted that Congress should raise the debt ceiling without any conditions, while some in the GOP have argued that a vote to raise the debt limit should also include cuts on government spending.
B.C. Begley 