No Progress In Debt Ceiling Talks, But Another Meeting Of Key Figures Friday

As was broadly expected, there appears to have been little progress made on 9 May at the meeting between President Biden, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and other senior Congressional figures regarding the looming debt ceiling.

• Punchbowl News reports that "The Hill staffers and Biden administration officials huddling over the next two days aren’t even on the same page when it comes to what they’re discussing. Democrats believe they are negotiating a spending agreement outside the context of the debt limit. Republicans believe they’re negotiating a debt-limit deal with a spending-cut component."
• Politico notes, though, that " beneath the enduring stalemate was an only-in-Washington bright spot: Nobody walked out of the meeting, or away from the negotiations altogether."
• Following the meeting of aides over 10 and 11 May, Biden, McCarthy, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) will meet again on Friday 12 May.
• Following the meeting, Biden floated the prospect of using the 14th Amendment to ensure a default is avoided. Some legal scholars have stated they believe that the 14th amendment makes it unconstitutional for the US not to pay its debt. However, pursuing would likely end up in a legal quagmire running well past the 'X date' this summer.