McCarthy Vents Frustration Over Biden’s Unwillingness to Cut Spending in Debt Ceiling Negotiations

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks to reporters outside the West Wing following debt limit talks with President Joe Biden at the White House on May 9, 2023. Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) vented frustration over President Joe Biden’s unwillingness to reduce federal discretionary spending in 2024 in exchange for lifting the debt ceiling.

“It didn’t seem like it’d be this hard,” McCarthy told reporters at midday on May 24.