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Biden and McCarthy held initial talks on Wednesday in a first
test of how the two could work together. The pair spoke again on
Thursday at the National Prayer Breakfast, where they sat
together.
"He'll give me a call in a couple days to set up the next
meeting," the California Republican told reporters. "We're going
to meet again about the debt ceiling and ways that we can find
ways for savings and put ourselves on a path to balance."
The U.S. government neared its $31.4 trillion debt ceiling
earlier this month, prompting the Treasury to warn that it may
not be able to stave off default past early June.
The White House has said Biden will discuss federal spending
cuts with Republicans, but only after the debt ceiling is
lifted, while McCarthy has said Republicans will only lift the
ceiling if Biden agrees to spending cuts. While the two sides
disagree on the order of the subjects they are tackling, both
say they will continue to talk.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Thursday
Biden's conversation with McCarthy on Wednesday was productive
and White House officials had been in touch with his staff on
next steps. She declined to say when the two would speak again.
After Wednesday's meeting, McCarthy said he felt they could find
common ground, and the White House said Biden had told McCarthy
he was eager to work with Republicans "in good faith."
On Thursday, McCarthy stressed that a debt ceiling solution
would need to include spending reforms. "At the end of the day,
we're going to get spending reforms," McCarthy said. "You do not
lift the debt ceiling without changing your behavior."
(Reporting by David Morgan, Katharine Jackson and Susan Heavey;
Editing by Alistair Bell)
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