Kevin McCarthy tells Biden time is running out to negotiate spending cuts to raise the debt ceiling — even as Republicans have yet to put forth a concrete plan

As the US inches closer to a default on its debt, Kevin McCarthy has some stern words for the president on how to avoid that outcome.

On Tuesday, the Republican speaker of the House sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to negotiate spending cuts to raise the debt ceiling. McCarthy and Biden met to discuss the topic in February, but since then, Biden has remained adamant that raising the debt ceiling, and keeping the US on top of paying its bills, should be a clean — and bipartisan — deal. 

McCarthy and his colleagues disagree. They have vowed to use raising the debt ceiling as leverage to achieve their own priorities, like major spending cuts, and they want Biden to come to the bargaining table before the country defaults. The White House did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the letter.