by Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Talks between the U.S. president and the Speaker of the House of Representatives over raising the debt ceiling ended in deadlock on Tuesday, amid the risk of a debt default on the 1st June.
Joe Biden and Kevin McCarthy seemed to stick to their guns after their interview. Discussions on the question of the federal budget could however resume from the night of Tuesday to Wednesday between advisers.
Joe Biden called the meeting “productive”, saying Kevin McCarthy said the United States would not default on its debt.
“All the participants in this meeting understood the risks of a default (on the debt)”, said the American president.
Kevin McCarthy for his part underlined the lack of progress in the discussions. “I haven’t seen any progress,” he told reporters after the meeting, regretting that Joe Biden only agreed to talk at the last minute.
“That’s no way to govern,” the Speaker of the House of Representatives said, adding that the White House “has no plan B.”
Kevin McCarthy, however, indicated that discussions between advisers were to resume this week, and that he would meet Joe Biden again on Friday.
(With contributions from Trevor Hunnicutt, David Morgan, Moira Warburton, Katharine Jackson and Nandita Bose, written by Trevor Hunnicutt; Camille Raynaud)
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