A meeting between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Monday afternoon to discuss a path forward to avert a debt limit breach failed to yield a deal, but both sides agreed that talks were “productive.”
“We don’t have an agreement yet, but I did feel the discussion was productive in areas that we have differences of opinion,” McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters after leaving the Oval Office. He added that the “tone tonight was better than any other night we’ve had discussions.”
A White House official said disagreements remain, but echoed the speaker’s assessment that the meeting was overall “productive,” a word that continued to surface as negotiators fanned out.
