A senior adviser to President Biden said Wednesday’s talks between White House officials and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) on debt ceiling talks were “productive,” but negotiations between the two sides were “far.” I acknowledged the situation.
Biden’s senior adviser, Gene Sperling, who led the National Economic Council under Presidents Clinton and Obama, told NewNation’s “The Hill” that White House was optimistic as lawmakers weighed policy. House and McCarthy’s staff met for more than two hours on Tuesday, he said. How to avoid hitting the national debt ceiling.
“It was a productive conversation at this stage of the discussion,” Sperling said. “I think there was a good vibe in the room, and at least a sense of productivity.”
The officials’ meeting came after little progress was made in high-profile talks by Biden, McCarthy and other congressional leaders on Tuesday. On Tuesday, he said he saw no “new moves” after the meeting at the White House. After the rally, Mr. Biden sounded more optimistic, saying the talks were “productive.”
But after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced the U.S. could reach its debt ceiling by June 1, lawmakers will need to act quickly to avoid a default.
Republicans have insisted the White House and Democrats agree to cut spending in exchange for raising the debt ceiling, and House Republicans passed legislation to do just that. But the White House has said it won’t negotiate spending cuts until the debt ceiling is passed.
Mr. Sperling acknowledged that there are still gaps between the two sides until an agreement is reached.
“Any more people? No,” Sperling said. “Are they far away? Yes.”
Biden and congressional leaders are scheduled to meet again on Friday.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. You may not publish, broadcast, rewrite or redistribute this material.
