US President Joe Biden will return home on Sunday, following the completion of the G7 summit, in order to be back for meetings with Congressional leaders, said the White House Tuesday.
Biden’s return is to ensure that Congress takes action by the deadline to avert default, noted White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement.
“The President spoke to Prime Minister Albanese earlier today to inform him that he will be postponing his trip to Australia. He also invited the Prime Minister for an official state visit at a time to be agreed by the teams. The President’s team engaged with the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea’s team to inform them as well,” noted the statement in reference to Biden’s travel plans to Australia and Papua New Guinea.
“The President has made clear that members of Congress from both parties and chambers must come together to prevent default, as they have 78 times before. The President and his team will continue to work with Congressional leadership to deliver a budget agreement that can reach the President’s desk.” On relations with both Australia and Papua New Guinea, the statement pointed out that “revitalizing and reinvigorating our alliances and advancing partnerships like the Quad remains a key priority for the President. This is vital to our ability to advance our foreign policy goals and better promote global stability and prosperity. We look forward to finding other ways to engage with Australia, the Quad, Papua New Guinea and the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum in the coming year.” As for his meeting with congressional leadership in a bid to preventing default, “President Biden hosted Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Speaker McCarthy, and Leader Jeffries in the Oval Office for a productive and direct meeting about the need to ensure America does not default on its debt for the first time in our history, and on a budget agreement that can reach his desk.
The President, according to the statement, emphasized that while more work remains on a range of difficult issues, he’s “optimistic” that there is a path to a responsible, bipartisan budget agreement if both sides negotiate in good faith and recognize that neither side will get everything it wants.
The President directed staff to continue to meet daily on outstanding issues. He said that he would like to check in with leaders later this week by phone, and meet with them upon his return from overseas, it concluded.
Source: Kuwait News Agency