White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended President Joe Biden's planned trip abroad as the debt ceiling battle rages at home.

"[Biden] is president wherever he is, and as it relates to the American economy, that is always a top priority for him," she told reporters at the press briefing Tuesday.

LAWMAKERS AND BIDEN SET TO LEAVE DC DURING DEBT LIMIT CRUNCH TIME

A reporter noted that Biden delayed a foreign trip in 2011 when he was vice president amid debt ceiling negotiations and that President Barack Obama did so at one point as well during a fiscal showdown.

Jean-Pierre declined to reveal whether Biden had any plans of postponing his trip due to the mounting crisis at home.

"I don't have anything else to share," she said.

Biden's trip is set to feature a critical foreign policy meeting — the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima, Japan, from May 19 to 21. He will then make his first presidential stop in Australia for the Quad meeting on May 24, which features the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India.

The visit comes at a time when the Biden administration has been keen on shoring up ties with allies in the Asia Pacific region amid tensions with China.

Biden isn't alone in leaving Washington, D.C., over the next month. The House is currently in recess, and the Senate is slated to adjourn as well later this month. Biden and both chambers are only set to be together in the capital for roughly 10 business days this month.

Jean-Pierre also reiterated the administration's position that Congress pass a clean debt ceiling bill. Republicans have demanded one be paired with spending cuts.

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On Monday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen revealed that the timeline for a possible default has been projected sooner to June 1 if Congress fails to reach an agreement on the debt ceiling. Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are set to meet on May 9 to discuss the matter.

"During his meeting with the leaders, the president will discuss initiating a separate process to address the budget and appropriations because, as we have long said, we welcome a conversation about spending priorities," Jean-Pierre previewed earlier in the briefing.