Kevin McCarthy to meet with Joe Biden again on US debt ceiling

• Kevin McCarthy and Joe Biden will meet again to discuss raising the US debt ceiling.
• The pair met on Wednesday for the first time to see if they could get along.
• McCarthy asserts that a debt ceiling solution would need to include spending reforms.

President Joe Biden and Republican Speaker of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy have agreed to meet once more to discuss raising the debt ceiling for the federal government, McCarthy announced on Thursday.

On Wednesday, Biden and McCarthy had their first conversations to see if they could get along. On Thursday, they chatted once more while seated next to one other at the National Prayer Breakfast.

“He’ll give me a call in a couple of days to set up the next meeting,” the California Republican told reporters. “We’re going to meet again about the debt ceiling and ways that we can find ways for savings and put ourselves on a path to balance.”

Early this month, the US government came dangerously close to exceeding its $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, forcing the Treasury to issue a warning that it might not be able to avoid default into early June.

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McCarthy asserts that Republicans will only raise the debt ceiling if Biden agrees to spend cutbacks, contrary to the White House’s assertion that Biden will only negotiate federal budget cuts with Republicans once the debt ceiling is raised. Even though the two sides disagree on the topics they should discuss first, they both promise to keep talking.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, stated on Thursday McCarthy and Biden had a fruitful conversation on Wednesday, and White House personnel had been informed of the next steps. She opted not to reveal when they will communicate once more.

The White House reported that Joe Biden told McCarthy he was eager to engage with Republicans “in good faith” after their discussion on Wednesday. McCarthy expressed his belief that they could find common ground.

On Thursday, McCarthy stressed that a debt ceiling solution would need to include spending reforms. “At the end of the day, we’re going to get spending reforms,” McCarthy said. “You do not lift the debt ceiling without changing your behavior.”

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