WASHINGTON—House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Thursday that he and President Joe Biden will continue discussions on how and when to raise the nation’s debt ceiling the day after they met in person at the White House for the first time since Republicans. occupied the majority of the House of Representatives.
A California Republican told reporters at the Capitol, “I left him to call me in a few days to prepare for the next meeting.
McCarthy said he and Biden did not discuss details of the upcoming meeting, including whether White House aides or members of McCarthy’s leadership team would attend.
If Congress doesn’t pass legislation to raise or suspend the country’s statutory debt ceiling by early June, it could wreak economic havoc around the world.
Both Biden and McCarthy have said passing the debt relief bill is absolutely essential. But they are deeply at odds over how to do it.
“We believe the debt ceiling needs to be raised, but you can’t raise the debt ceiling without changing your behavior, so it has to be both,” McCarthy said.
But Biden and the White House have so far refused to “negotiate” raising the debt ceiling. .
That will never happen, the Republican House Speaker said Thursday.
“There will never be a clean debt ceiling here without some form of spending reform, so there will never be a clean one,” McCarthy said. “At the end of the day, it will be spending reform.”
Despite their differences, McCarthy said he respects Biden and emphasized that he sees a path forward and possible commonalities between the two.
“Yesterday we had a very pleasant conversation for over an hour,” he said. “It doesn’t mean we agreed, but we bet on a different position.”
“At the end of the conversation, between the two of us, we thought, ‘This is worth continuing. So we’re going to keep doing it. ”
Biden said much the same thing about McCarthy in his remarks at the annual bipartisan National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.
“Let’s start by treating each other with respect,” Biden said. [McCarthy] And I will. ”
“We had a good meeting yesterday,” Biden continued. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to agree, and [not] Fight like hell. But let’s treat each other with respect. ”
The friendly atmosphere between Biden and McCarthy contrasted with the bitter debate in the House just before the Republicans. voted to remove Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from Minnesota on the House Foreign Relations Committee. The move prompted many to refer to some of her past statements, including tweets, as anti-Semitic. She posted in 2019as a member of Congress, repeated anti-Semitic tropes.
On Thursday, more than a dozen of Omar’s fellow Democrats, including several Jewish congressmen, gave impassioned speeches on her behalf.
Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, holding back tears, lashed out at Republicans for targeting Omar. “The Republican Party is weaponizing its hatred of beautiful black Muslim women,” Talib said, before turning to Omar. ,really sorry.”
To her, Omar was rebellious. “I didn’t come to parliament to be silent, I came to parliament to be their voice,” Omar said. “And even if I do not serve her one term on this committee, my leadership and voice will not diminish. My voice will grow louder and stronger.”
