Biden, congressional leaders delay meeting on the debt ceiling

Staff members for President Joe Biden and congressional leaders continued discussions on Friday even after they delayed an in-person meeting until this week. The leaders met at the White House on Tuesday to discuss how to raise the debt ceiling and whether to reel in government spending.

Does this mean talks are falling apart? Sources familiar with the discussions said the delays were a positive development, not a signal that talks were breaking down. But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said after Tuesday’s meeting that little progress had been made. Officials say without a debt ceiling deal, Washington could begin to default on its debts next month.

Dig deeper: Listen to Cal Thomas’ commentary on The World and Everything in It podcast about the debt ceiling discussions.