Biden, McCarthy Have ‘Productive’ Meeting But No Deal Yet on Debt Ceiling

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and President Joe Biden clearly defined their areas of disagreement over raising the debt ceiling and cutting federal spending, paving the way for negotiators from both sides to iron out a deal.
Emerging from a 90-minute conversation at the White House on May 22, McCarthy described the meeting in positive terms. The speaker also told reporters he believed an agreement could be passed through Congress before the country defaults on its debt, which could happen as early as June 1.
“I think the tone tonight was better than any other time we’ve had discussions,” McCarthy said. “We still will have some philosophical differences, but I felt it was productive … and I think we were able to really focus on the areas of difference.”…}