Biden: McCarthy And I Will Treat Each Other With Respect

President Joe Biden, delivering remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast, has said that he plans to treat House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) with respect in negotiations to resolve a standoff over government spending and raising the debt limit.

• Biden: "Let's start treating each other with respect. That's what Kevin and I are going to do, not a joke, we had a good meeting yesterday."
• McCarthy told reporters yesterday that an hour-long meeting with Biden at the White House, went "better than I thought," adding "I would feel better, if I was the markets, based upon the meeting I had today."
• Optimism for a positive resolution to the debt ceiling showdown has been buoyed in recent days by the transparent approach taken by the White House and quiet indications that moderate Republicans on House Problem Solvers Caucus may be willing to entertain the option of crossing the aisle to vote with Democrats on a discharge petition - a procedural maneuver which forces a House vote on the debt limit via a simple majority.
• Focus now turns to when Biden and House Republicans release their respective budgets around March 7.