Manchin Meets With McCarthy To Discuss Debt Ceiling

Moderate Democrat Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) has met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in a bid to drive forward negotiations to raise the federal debt limit.

• Manchin said after the meeting that McCarthy agreed that cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid were off the table..
• Manchin: "He was very receptive and wants to negotiate and wants to sit down and talk. ... My sense is Kevin McCarthy wants this place to work. He doesn't want to go through this theatrics to the point to where we have come to the cliff and how much damage is done by getting to the cliff.”
• Manchin's moderate leanings again appear to be setting him apart from his Democrat colleagues. The official line from the White House and the offices of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is that no negotiations will take place and Congress must act to raise the debt limit without conditions.