There were few signs that Democrats and Republicans had come much closer to a debt ceiling deal by the time House Speaker Kevin McCarthy emerged from his 90-minute meeting at the White House on Monday. "I think the tone tonight was better than any other time we've had discussions,” McCarthy told reporters after his meeting. According to two Democratic Senate aides, Biden staffers unexpectedly joined a weekly messaging call with Senate Democratic offices on Monday. During it, White House communications director Kate Berner told participants that the administration will not take votes from his own party’s lawmakers for granted as negotiations go on. AD“I'm just saying to you, look at what is being proposed in terms of cuts,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the appropriations panel, told reporters.
