Politics

Biden To Leave White House Days Before Potential Debt Default

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Diana Glebova White House Correspondent
Font Size:

President Joe Biden is set to depart the White House for Camp David Friday evening, leaving Washington, D.C. for the weekend five days before a potential U.S. default.

The president and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have not come to an agreement over raising the debt ceiling and spending cuts as their respective teams continue negotiations.

If a consensus is not formed before June 1, the government would default on its debt for the first time in history, causing “serious harm to business and consumer confidence,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned.

McCarthy has attempted to pair a raise to the debt ceiling with government spending cuts. The White House has maintained that Biden would not cut any spending related to Medicaid and doesn’t want to give tax breaks to large oil and pharmaceutical companies.

The party leaders have “two very different fiscal visions for our country and our economy,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday.

The House of Representatives started its week-long Memorial Day recess Thursday. McCarthy has said that the House may reconvene to vote on the debt ceiling if needed.

Biden cut short his scheduled trip to Asia to come back to the White House on Sunday. He traveled to Japan for the G7 summit, but postponed his Australia and Papua New Guinea events to have more in-person time in Washington, D.C.

Biden met with McCarthy Monday but the pair did not reach an agreement on how to move forward with the debt ceiling. (RELATED: Biden, McCarthy Fail To Reach Agreement 10 Days Away From Default)

Reporters pressed Jean-Pierre on Biden’s plans, asking why the president is leaving within days before the deadline.

“The president could — could deal with this issue anywhere he is. And so, I’ll just leave it as that,” Jean-Pierre said Thursday.

On Monday, Biden is set to deliver the Memorial Day address at Arlington National Cemetery. The White House refused to tell the Caller his exact weekend plans and why he is going to Camp David.