Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2023

May 14, 2023

Public Debt Limit/The President's Meeting With Congressional Leadership

Q. Mr. President, when is the debt meeting with the leaders?

The President. In about 10 minutes.

Q. Seriously?

The President. [Inaudible]âno. You're holding it up.

Q. When is it actually happening, sir?

The President. We're working on it right now, the exactââ

Q. Will it be on Tuesday?

The President. I think so.

Q. It's been reported it will be Tuesday.

The President. I think so.

The President's Meeting With Congressional Leadership

Q. Do you have an update on how talks have gone this weekend, sir?

The President. I have.

Q. Can you share that with us?

The President. No. [Laughter]

Q. Okay.

Public Debt Limit

Q. What's your level of optimism about them?

The President. That's sharing it, isn't it?

Q. Well, it's giving us a clue. [Laughter]

The President. Lookââ

Group of Seven (Gâ7) Nations Leaders Summit in Hiroshima, Japan

Q. Do you think you'll be able to leave for the Gâ7?

The President. That's my plan as it stands now.

Federal Budget Negotiations

Q. Mr. President, are you open to tougher work requirements for certain Government aid programs like Republicans are proposing as part of these discussions?

The President. I voted for tougher aid programs that's in the law now, but for Medicaid it's a different story. And so I'm waiting to hear what their exact proposal is.

Presidential Election in Turkey

Q. Do you have any comment on the Turkish elections? It's looks like there might be a dispute for President Erdogan's results.

The President. Oh, is that right? I didn't get anyâ[inaudible].

Q. The opposition party are claiming they are leading. And the state media are saying Erdogan is leading.

The President. It sounds familiar, doesn't it?

No, look, I just hope it goesâwhoever wins, wins. I mean, there's enough problems in that part of the world right now without that happening.

Public Debt Limit/Federal Budget Negotiations

Q. How are youâI'm going to try you again on debt ceiling. How do you feel about the Republicans in terms ofââ

The President. Look, Iââ

Q. ââtheir position and where they're going?

The President. Well, I've learned a long time ago, and you know as well as I do: It never is good to characterize a negotiation in the middle of a negotiation.

I remain optimistic because I'm a congenital optimist. But I really think there's a desire on their part, as well as ours, to reach an agreement, and I think we'll be able to do it.

Okay?

Mexico-U.S. Border/Immigration Restrictions Under Title 42 of the Public Health Service Act of 1944

Q. How do you think things are going at the border, sirââ

The President. Much better thanââ

Q. ââwith title 42 lifted?

The President. Much better than you all expected. [Laughter]

Q. Do you have any plansââ

The President. No, I thinkââ

Q. ââto visit the border?

The President. Pardon me?

Mexico-U.S. Border/Scranton, Pennsylvania

Q. Do you have any plans to visit the border?

The President. Not in the near term, no. No, it would just be disruptive, not anything else.

And by the way, onâwhen I went up to Beau's bench, you know, at the otherâabout 4 miles upâI met twoâtwo people come up to meâthere were a bunch of people. That's why I was little late. I was taking a lot of pictures.

But came up and said, "We went to St. Paul's in Scranton." They wentâ[*laughter*]âto the same little grade school that I went to. And so I was up there withâthere's Scranton people everywhere.

Q. Mr. Presidentââ

The President. It's justâ[inaudible]âbetter.

Q. Yes.

The President. Yes. [Laughter]

Mexico-U.S. Border

Q. Secretary Mayorkas said this morning that the numbers at the border have gone down since title 42 was lifted. Are you confident that the numbers have peaked, that they'll continue to go down?

The President. Well, look, they areâthey have gone down. My hope is, they'll continue to go down, but we have moreâa lot more work to do. And we need some more help from the Congress as well in terms of funding and legislative changes.

Anyway, thank you all.

Group of Seven (Gâ7) Nations Leaders Summit in Hiroshima, Japan

Q. Are you looking forward to your trip on Wednesday?

The President. I am. I hope it'sâhopefully, we'll make it.

Mother's Day

Q. Was it a nice Mother's Day?

The President. It was.

Q. What did you do for the First Lady?

The President. Well, Iâsince she's not my mom, I got her her favorite thing: an orchid onâ forâa wrist corsage.

And my daughter came down. She's with us now, and she brought some things for her mom. And I'm heading up tomorrow morning to see my number-three grandchild graduate from

Penn.

National Basketball Association's Philadelphia 76ers

Q. Didâis she watching the game right nowâthe First Lady? The basketball. The Sixers.

The President. I don't think so.

Q. They're losing, as a warning. [Laughter]

The President. I'm getting the hell out of here then.

Q. Yes, I'm sorry to say.

The President. Thank you, guys.

NOTE: The President spoke at 5:30 p.m. at on the bike path at Gordons Pond Trail in Cape Henlopen State Park. In his remarks, he referred to Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin O. McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem S. Jeffries, and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Minority Leader A. Mitchell McConnell. He also referred to his granddaughter Maisy. Portions of these remarks could not be verified because the audio was incomplete.

Categories: Interviews With the News Media : Exchanges with reporters, Rehoboth Beach, DE.

Locations: Rehoboth Beach, DE.

Names: Biden, Ashley; Biden, Jill T.; Biden, Roberta M. "Maisy"; Jeffries, Hakeem S.; McCarthy, Kevin O.; McConnell, A. Mitchell; Schumer, Charles E.

Subjects: Basketball; Delaware, President's visit; Group of Seven (Gâ7) nations; House minority leader; Immigration reform; Medicare and Medicaid programs; Mexico, border with U.S., infrastructure and security; News media, Presidential interviews; Public debt limit; Refugees and migrants, U.S. admission policy; Senate majority leader; Senate minority leader; Speaker of the House of Representatives.

DCPD Number: DCPD202300417.