McCarthy's Debt Ceiling Win Rocks White House and House Republicans Alike

The White House and congressional Democrats are preparing to ramp up attacks on House Republicans over the debt ceiling bill, targeting swing-district members for endorsing policies that would strip investments in their home districts and gut funding for popular programs. Biden is refusing to budge from his demand that Congress pass an unconditional increase to the debt ceiling, betting that he still holds the stronger hand in the face of an economic catastrophe. The White House signaled that Biden would now be willing to meet with McCarthy for the first time since early February — while sticking to their longstanding position that any negotiations be over the broader federal budget, and not the debt ceiling.