McCarthy Hopeful of Eventual Compromise After Meeting Biden About Debt Ceiling

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with President Joe Biden at the White House on Feb. 1 to discuss the debt ceiling and spending cuts, a meeting that left McCarthy hopeful of finding common ground.
“I thought it was a very good discussion. We walked out saying we will continue that discussion. And I think there is an opportunity to come to an agreement, and I think that’s the best thing,” McCarthy told reporters shortly after the one-hour conversation.
The Speaker again refused to state which specific areas Republicans are targeting for spending cuts, or when he would announce their plan.
McCarthy said negotiating in public would be no help in reaching an agreement with the president. He would say only that Medicare and Social Security are not targets for spending cuts and that Republicans would focus on eliminating waste….}