Joe Biden says debt ceiling talks ‘making progress’ as deadline approaches

Joe Biden claimed White House officials were “making progress” in budget negotiations with Republicans to avert a damaging debt default, even as time was running out for any deal to be enacted before the government runs out of money to pay all its bills as soon as next week.

The US president struck a relatively upbeat tone as he gave an update on talks to head off the fiscal crisis gripping Washington at an event in the White House Rose Garden on Thursday afternoon.