Debt ceiling talks teeter on the brink, as lawmakers leave town for weekend without a deal
CTV
House Republicans pushed debt ceiling talks to the brink on Thursday, displaying risky political bravado in preparing to leave town for the holiday weekend just days before the U.S. could face an unprecedented default hurling the global economy into chaos.
House Republicans pushed debt ceiling talks to the brink on Thursday, displaying risky political bravado in preparing to leave town for the holiday weekend just days before the U.S. could face an unprecedented default hurling the global economy into chaos.
However, Speaker Kevin McCarthy also said he had directed his negotiating team "to work 24/7 to solve this problem."
"We've been taking to the White House all day," McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters as he left the Capitol for the evening, with his top negotiators soon to follow. "We're working hard to make it happen."
In remarks at the White House, Biden said, "It's about competing versions of America." Yet both men expressed optimism that the gulf between their positions could be bridged.
The White House said discussions with the Republicans have been productive, including by video conference Thursday, though serious disagreements remained as the president fights for his priorities.
"The only way to move forward is with a bipartisan agreement," Biden said. "And I believe we'll come to an agreement that allows us to move forward and protects the hardworking Americans of this country."
As the deadline nears, it's clear the Republican speaker -- who leads a Donald Trump-aligned party whose hard-right flank lifted him to power, and who spoke to the former president this week -- is now staring down a potential crisis.
