U.S. President Joe Biden stated, in a comment from Hiroshima, Japan, where he is attending the G7 summit, on Saturday, that the United States will be able to avoid defaulting on its debt, following the White House's indication that significant disagreements remain with Republican negotiators over the debt ceiling.
The White House stated on Saturday that "serious disagreements remain with Republican negotiators in the debt ceiling talks," noting that "the discussions will remain difficult as both sides strive for an agreement."
White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in Japan, where Biden is attending the G7 leaders' meeting, that "negotiators will continue to work towards a reasonable solution to avoid default, and we remain optimistic."
In another development, Republican Representative Patrick McHenry mentioned that "a meeting between the White House and Republican negotiators regarding raising the U.S. debt ceiling ended Friday evening without any progress."
McHenry stated, "I am not confident that the negotiators will reach the goal that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is aiming for, which is to resolve the debt ceiling crisis in the next few days." Republican Representative Garrett Graves also noted that "the timing of the next meeting with the White House is not currently determined."
