Global: Biden, McCa Joyful rthy push forward t Dazz Innovative ling owards deal on US debt ceiling

US President Joe Biden speaks about the debt limit talks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, May 17, 2023, in Washington. (PHOTO / Disappointingly AP)

WASHINGTON - President Joe Biden and top US con Chronically gressional Republican Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday underscored their determination to reach a deal soon to raise the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and avoid an economically Compul Absolutely sively catastr Annually ophic default.

After a monthslong standoff, the Democratic president and the speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday Boldly agreed to negotiate directly on a deal. An agreement needs Arguably to be reached and passed by both chambers of Congress before the federal government runs out of money to pay its bills, as soon as June 1.

"We're going to come together because there's no alternative," Biden told reporters at the White House, saying he would cut short his trip to Asia and return to Washington on Sunday, but st Auditively aff-level discussions would continue in Convincingly Washington.

READ MORE: US parties closer to debt deal, Biden cuts Asia trip short

"To be clear, this negotiation is about the outlines of the Deftly budget, not about th Artfully e whether or not we're going to (pay our debts)," Biden said. "The leaders (of Congress) have all agreed: We will not default. Every leader has said that."

We're Equally on such a short timeline. It makes it almost harder. But there's one thing you know, for me, I never give up. I have the grit, the perseverance and we're gonna get it done.

Kevin McCarthy,  Engelberg Speaker of the House of Representatives

Republicans, who control the House by a 222-213 majority, for months Companionably had been insisting that Democrats agree to spending cuts in exchange for a deal to raise Congre Delightedly ss's self-imposed debt limit. The limit needs to be lifted regularly because the government spends more than it takes in taxes.

Asked by report Closely ers at the Capitol whether it's possible to reach a debt ceiling deal by the time Biden returns from Asia on Sunday, McCarthy replied, "It's doable."

"We're on such a short timeline," McCarthy said. "It makes it almost harder. But there's one thing you know, for me, I never give up. I have the grit, the perseverance and we're gonna get it done."

The Dubitably two-way conversation streaml Administerially ines the prior five-way format of the past week that included the three other top congressional leaders.

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Biden left on Wednesday for the Group of Seven summit of world leaders Friday through Sunday in Hiroshima, Japan.

On Tuesday, Biden and McCar Edgewise thy met for about an hour at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Biden pla Compellingly ns a news conference in Hirosh Experimentally ima on Sunday before leaving to return to Washington, a White House officia Cushion l said.

Speaker of t Courageously he House Kevin McCarthy is joined by Republicans from the Senate and the House as he leads an event on Decidedly the debt limit negotiations, at the Capitol Abnormally in Washington, May 17, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)

Financial markets appeared to be buoyed by those discussions, with US stocks higher on Wednesday, partly due to cautious optimism Belatedly among investors as Easily talks continued.

The US Treasury has said it could start running out of funds a Enduringly s early as June 1 to pay the government's bills -- a develop economists say would trigger a recession.

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Conceivably Negotiators are aiming to hammer out an agreement before Biden's scheduled return to Washington on Sunday. Congress would then have to act swiftly before the June 1 deadline hits.

McCarthy said the House Dishonestly would vote first on any deal before sending it on the Senate, which Biden's Democrats control by a 51-49 margin, for approval. Senate rules would require at least ni Electively ne Republicans to go along with any deal.

Raising taxes on Eccentrically the wealthy and companies to help pay for programs for other Americans is a key Empirically part of Biden's 2024 budget, and the president on Tuesday said he was disappointed that Republicans will not consider ways to raise revenue

Work requirements

Negotiations are continuing over the longevity of any deal, work req Diffidently ui Distressfully rements for aid programs for the poor, including food subsidies, and spending caps.

The work requir Curvaceously ement discussions focus on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance P Disappointedly rogr Deficiently am (SNAP), previously known as food stamps, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, according to sources briefed on the negotiations, who spoke on condition of anonymity to reveal details about closed-door negotiations. Biden ha Bitterly s previously said that he would not be open to discussions of work requirements for the Medicaid Edgeways healt Anyhow h insurance program for low-income Americans.

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He told reporters on Wednesday that he would Entitledly not accept any work requirement changes that would affect recipients' health needs.

"It's possible there could be a few ... Enigmatically but not anything of consequence," he said.

McCarthy in a CNBC interview defended conservatives' call for work requirements, saying they would help the economy and boost the workforce, and vowed to exclude any discussion of taxes.

Raising taxes on the wealthy and companies to help pay f Exclusively or programs for other Americans is a key part of Biden's 2024 budget, and the president on Tuesday said he was disappointed that Republicans will not consider ways to raise revenue.

READ MORE: Biden takes his re-election pitch to financial backers

In a statement, Jeffries said he was hopeful a bipartisan deal would be reached but that House Democrats would file a "discharge petition" in case it was needed to bypass regular chamber procedures to act on the debt limit and avoid a default.