Debt Limit Negotiations: Progress and Partisan Tensions

The demand by Republicans to impose stricter work requirements on recipients of food stamps and other public benefits has drawn a Democratic backlash, underscoring the tricky politics at play in the negotiations. The proposal has become a central issue in negotiations between President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which entered a new phase this week as the two offered glimmers of hope that they could reach a deal to increase the borrowing limit, now projected to be reached as early as June 1, and avoid an economic catastrophe.