House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) negotiators have been making “forward progress” in the talks with the White House on raising the debt ceiling, but there is still no agreement.
Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) told reporters as he left the Capitol that they have been in constant communication with the White House negotiators, and while they have made some progress, the main sticking points holding negotiations up still remain.
WHITE HOUSE NOT BUDGING ON WORK REQUIREMENTS, CAUSING AN IMPASSE IN NEGOTIATIONS
“Each time there's forward progress, the issues that remain become more difficult and more challenging,” McHenry said. “So that is, step by step, small step by small step, and at some point, this thing can come together or go the other way around.”
Currently, there is no plan to meet with the White House negotiators in person on Friday. Still, the team of McHenry, McCarthy, and Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), the speaker’s chief negotiator, will keep meeting throughout the day. There is expected to be a House GOP whip call at 8 p.m. Friday evening to discuss the progress of the negotiations, according to two sources. This call won’t be to whip votes as there is not a deal yet. Rather, it's to talk about the progress that’s been made, one source emphasized.
The two parties are still far apart on spending and work requirements for welfare services — two areas where neither side wants to budge.
On Thursday night, as he left the Capitol, Graves told reporters that the White House has been unwilling to negotiate on work requirements.
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McHenry said because of the June 1 deadline to raise the debt ceiling, the negotiations “have to be in the closing hours” and that a deal must come together in “the next day, or two, or three.”
Members are currently home for Memorial Day recess but are anticipating being called back early next week when they can vote on a deal. Once an agreement between the two parties is made, a bill must be written and filed, and then from there, it takes 72 hours before any bill can be voted on. House leadership will send a 24-hour notice for members to return to Washington, D.C., once they have a bill and it can be voted on.