WASHINGTON — President Biden declined to take reporter questions Tuesday while hosting congressional leaders in the Oval Office — before axing an upcoming trip to Australia and Papua New Guinea to return to debt-ceiling talks to prevent a federal default in about two weeks.
Biden suggested he’d answer questions later in the afternoon on the West Wing driveway — but didn’t do so after meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and other leaders.
Few reporters actually expected Biden to appear on the drive, noting that the 80-year-old president similarly dodged questions on May 5 by claiming he’d hold a “major press conference.” He instead did an interview with a friendly MSNBC pundit.
“Hello folks. Get a good picture of all of us. We’re having a wonderful time. Everything’s going well,” Biden said as journalists entered the Oval Office.
Biden departs on Wednesday for a trip to Japan — but nixed his other planned stops to return to the debt talks.
“I don’t have any comment to make,” the president added. “We’re just getting started. And we’ll be available at the sticks when this is over.”
President Biden declined to answer questions about the debt ceiling after an Oval Office meeting with congressional leaders on May 16, 2023. Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images
Biden held a meeting on the debt limit with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Vice President Kamala Harris, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinThe “sticks” refer to an array of standing microphones just north of the West Wing’s lobby..
McCarthy, speaking to reporters on the driveway after his meeting with Biden, said Monday afternoon, “I didn’t see any new movement” with about two weeks to go before a possible default.
But the GOP speaker allowed that there could be a deal in works, as generally happens in debt-ceiling brinksmanship, adding to reporters, “It is possible we will get a deal by the end of the week.”
McCarthy claimed that Republicans and the White House are still “far apart” in negotiations for the debt ceiling. Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty ImagesSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who also was part of the meeting with Biden, said he was confident there would be a resolution.
“I’ve been through a few debt ceilings over the years,” McConnell said. “The United States is not going to default. It never has and never will.”
White House officials have steadfastly refused to negotiate with House Republicans on the debt ceiling, which must be raised by early June to avoid a default that could increase US borrowing costs while delivering a blow to American prestige.
Biden has expressed openness, however, to making spending cuts in tandem with a debt ceiling bump.
House Republicans passed a bill last month that would claw back unspent COVID-19 emergency funds and restrain future spending increases, among other proposed reforms.
The Tuesday meeting in the Oval Office included Vice President Kamala Harris, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
