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Did President Joe Biden meet with House Republicans about the debt ceiling?

By Erin Gretzinger
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YES

In February, Democratic President Joe Biden met with Republican Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy to discuss the U.S. debt ceiling. McCarthy called it a "first good meeting," while the White House said it was a "frank and straightforward dialogue," according to Politico. 

The debt ceiling is the limit set by Congress on how much the U.S. government can borrow. Since 1960, Congress has raised it 78 times — 49 times under GOP presidents. Failing to raise the ceiling could place the government in default of its debt payments.

On March 28, McCarthy called on Biden to arrange another meeting. House Republicans say they are poised to pass legislation to impose a debt ceiling limit unless Biden agrees to spending cuts and policy changes. 

Biden has said he will not negotiate conditions for raising the debt ceiling, but is willing to discuss spending plans with Republicans once GOP party leaders release a budget proposal.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Politico Biden and McCarthy hold ‘first good’ meeting on debt ceiling, but ‘no agreements, no promises’
Council on Foreign Relations What Happens When the U.S. Hits Its Debt Ceiling?
Roll Call House will move debt limit bill if Biden won't negotiate
Roll Call McCarthy to Biden on debt limit: 'You are on the clock'
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.