McCarthy: 'No new movement' after debt ceiling meeting with Biden
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he didn’t see "any new movement” toward reaching an agreement with President Biden on raising the debt ceiling and reducing federal spending.
“Everybody in this meeting reiterated the positions they were at," he told reporters on Monday after a meeting at the White House with Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. "I didn’t see any new movement.”
McCarthy said there would be another meeting later in the week. He also said congressional staff would meet with White House staff in the meantime.
The GOP-led House passed a bill that raised the debt limit by $1.5 trillion into next year and included federal spending reforms.
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell said there is now divided government and "elections have consequences." He said there isn't 60 votes in the Senate for a clean debt ceiling so an agreement must be reached.
McCarthy said he asked Biden at the meeting to identify areas where spending could be reduced but he "didn't give me any."