Debt deadline: White House meeting set, but no solution yet

By JOSH BOAK
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing the risk of a government default as soon as June 1, President Joe Biden has invited the top four congressional leaders to a White House meeting for talks next week. It’s a first concrete step toward negotiations on averting a potential economic catastrophe, but there’s a long way to go: Biden and Republicans can’t even agree on what’s up for negotiation. Republican lawmakers want spending cuts in return for raising the debt limit, saying the budget’s current path is unsustainable. Democrat Biden wants to raise the debt limit without any conditions, saying that any choices about spending should be part of a separate discussion, not a result of Republicans holding the government’s finances “hostage.”