(Hiroshima) US President Joe Biden remains “confident” about a favorable outcome of negotiations in Washington on raising the US debt ceiling, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said on Saturday.
There are still “real differences” between Democrats and Republicans on the subject, but “the president is confident in the possibility of moving forward”, declared the spokeswoman in Hiroshima (Japan), where Mr. Biden participates in the G7 Summit.
The threat of a US default escalated on Friday after debt ceiling talks between the White House and the Republican opposition stalled due to deep disagreements.
Republicans are demanding drastic government budget cuts before giving the green light to raising the debt ceiling.
But the negotiations then resumed, which makes us “optimistic” added Saturday Mme Jean Pierre. “Discussions just ended a few moments ago” in Washington, she assured.
Mr Biden has cut short his Asia-Pacific tour due to the US debt crisis. He must return to Washington on Sunday after the end of the Hiroshima summit.
“He is informed daily” of the state of the negotiations concerning the debt, and this “several times a day”, specified the spokesperson for the White House.
The Democratic president is deeply opposed to Republicans using the needed vote in Congress on raising the debt ceiling as a bargaining chip to secure budget cuts.
An agreement will be found “if the two sides negotiate in good faith”, added Mme Jean Pierre.