JACK, THE MEETING IS THAT EVEN HAPPENED YET.
WE ARE HEARING ABOUT SHORT-TERM SOLUTIONS, AND DISCHARGE
PETITIONS. WHEN DOES THAT SAY ABOUT THE
STATE OF AFFAIRS? JACK: THERE ARE SO MANY OPTIONS ON
THE TABLE THAT ARE NOT GOOD. THE PETITION TO GET THINGS
MOVING IN THE HOUSE IS THERE BUT LOOKS UNLIKELY UNLESS
REPUBLICANS CHANGE THEIR STANCE SHORT-TERM MEASURE IS SOMETHING
PEOPLE KEEP MENTIONING BUT SENATOR SCHUMER WANTS A
TWO-YEAR DEAL. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS BEING
FLOODED AND A SENSE OF DESPERATION BECAUSE THEY GOT
THE NEWS YESTERDAY THAT THEY ONLY HAVE A MONTH TO HOLD ALL
THE NEGOTIATIONS. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN NEGOTIATING
BETWEEN MCCARTHY AND BIDEN. THEY ARE SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS.
THE MEETING NEXT WEEK WILL DICTATE WHO FEELS LIKE THEY
HAVE LEVERAGE AND WHERE THEY FIND DIRECTION, BUT NOW IT IS
PANICKY AND DESPERATE. ANNMARIE: AND WE ARE LOOKING AT THE
CALENDAR. SEVEN DAYS IS THE ONLY TIME WE
HAVE WHEN THEY ARE ALL HERE. THIS MAKES IT COME LOCATED AND
IT IS WHY EVERYBODY THINKS THERE WILL BE A SHORT-TERM
EXTENSION, BUT HOW DIFFICULT FOR REPUBLICANS TO TAKE THREE
VOTES TO RAISE THE DEBT CEILING? THE ONES IN THE HOUSE WOULD
HAVE DONE IT AND IF WE -- IF THEY WERE TO GET LONGER-TERM IN
THE FALL? LAURA: MCCARTHY WILL DO EVERYTHING HE
CAN TO PROTECT HIS NUMBERS. THEY WILL LOOK AT OPTIONS TO
MAKE THIS PALATABLE POLITICALLY. JACK MENTIONED THAT THINGS ARE
PANICKY RIGHT NOW. THEY ONLY HAVE A MONTH.
IN SOME WAYS, THIS IS GOOD NEWS BECAUSE CONGRESS DOES NOT ACT
UNTIL THERE IS A DEADLINE.
THEY NEVER PASS A BUDGET OR DO ANYTHING UNTIL THEY ARE ON THE
EVE OF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENING.
THIS SAVES THEM A SUMMER OF STICKING OUT THEIR POSITIONS
BEFORE THEY FINALLY GET TO DEALMAKING.
WE ARE IN THAT STATE. - STAGE.
YOU WILL SEE STARTING MAY 9 HOW THIS SHAKES OUT BUT THEIR
COUNTER CAN ALWAYS CHANGE. THEY CAN KEEP PEOPLE OVER THE
WEEKEND. BIDEN CAN CHANGE HIS SCHEDULE.
GIVING OUR OPTIONS OUTSIDE THAT SEVEN DAYS BUT IT WILL BE
TRICKY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MANEUVER THAT. JOE:
WE WILL HAVE LATE NIGHTS, WORKING WEEKENDS.
JACK, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT SCHEDULING A VACATION.
IT WAS SUGGESTED EARLIER THAT A CONCERTED NEGOTIATION WOULD NOT
BEGIN UNTIL A MONTH BEFORE THE DEADLINE, BUT THAT IS NOT THE
WAY THEY ARE READING IT AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE WE INTERLAYER -- WEIGHED IN
EARLIER.
>> THIS SHOULD BE A WAKE-UP CALL.
IT IS TIME FOR THE SPEAKER AND THE MAGA REPUBLICANS TO ACT.
IT IS CONGRESS'S OBLIGATION TO ACT, NOT HOLD THE FAITH AND
CREDIT OF THE U.S. HOSTAGE UNLESS WE ALLOW THEM TO
MAKE CUTS TO PROGRAMS HARD-WORKING AMERICANS LIGHT
UPON. -- RELY UPON.
JOE: IS THIS MEETING ABOUT HATCHING
OUT A DEAL OR IS IT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO DRAW LINES ON
WHAT THEY WILL NOT DO? JACK: HARD TO SAY.
IT IS NEWSWORTHY THAT AFTER THE PROJECTION THAT IT COULD BE AS
EARLY AS JUNE 1, THAT THE PRESIDENT SAID I WANT THIS
MEETING WITH CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS.
I TALKED TO JACK REED WHO HAS A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SPENDING IN
DEFENSE ISSUES SAID I DO NOT KNOW IF IT WILL BE A MEETING
THE PRESIDENT TALKING AT THEM AND SAYING WHAT IS YOUR OPENING
POSITION? THERE ARE A VARIETY OF OPINIONS
ON WHAT COMES OUT OF THIS MEETING.
EVEN WITH ONLY SEVEN DAYS OF OVERLAP, IT HAS BEEN MADE CLEAR
THAT THIS IS A NEGOTIATION BETWEEN PRESIDENT BIDEN IS
BIGGER MCCARTHY. IF THEY ARE DETERMINED --
SPEAKER MCCARTHY.
THEY ARE DETERMINED TO GET A DEAL, THINGS CAN HAPPEN VERY
FAST IF THEY ARE BOTH MOTIVATED. AT THAT MEETING, WE WILL SEE
HOW MOTIVATED THE PRESIDENT IS AND HOW NECESSARY HE THINKS IT
IS TO GIVE CONCESSIONS. ANNMARIE:
THE MOMENT, ALL WE ARE SEEING IS BALANCE BEING HARDENED.
AT WHAT POINT DO YOU THINK MITCH MCCONNELL WILL GET
INVOLVED? LAURA:
RIGHT NOW, HE IS SAYING IS ALL MCCARTHY'S GAME.
MCCARTHY AND MCCONNELL HAVE HAD THIS DISTANT RELATIONSHIP BUT
HAVE GOTTEN CLOSER. MCCARTHY AND MCCONNELL HAVE
BUILT TRUST OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
MCCARTHY HAS PROVED HIMSELF, IN GETTING THIS BILL THROUGH LAST
WEEK, THAT HE IS ABLE TO DELIVER.
YOU WILL SEE MCCONNELL STAND BACK UNTIL THE FINAL MOMENT.
HE HAS SAID HE DOES NOT WANT TO BE THE BROKER ON THIS DEAL.
HE WAS TO LET THE HOUSE AND WHITE HOUSE FIGURE IT OUT. JOE:
IS IT MITCH MCCONNELL OR CHUCK SCHUMER WHO CAN MAKE A
DIFFERENCE? IN THE SENATE, YOU WILL NEED
MORE DEMOCRATIC VOTES THAN REPUBLICAN. JACK: MAYBE.
THE MAJOR FACTOR IS THEY WANT A DEAL THAT CAN GET THROUGH A
HOUSE CONTROLLED BY REPUBLICANS AND THAT DOES NOT END KEVIN
MCCARTHY'S CAREER AS SPEAKER. THEY DO NOT WANT A 50-50 SPLIT
IN THE HOUSE. INCENSE REASON THAT WHATEVER
YOU GET THAT -- IT STANDS TO REASON THAT WHATEVER YOU GET
THAT CAN PASS THE HOUSE CAN GET 60 IN A WAY THAT IS WEIGHTED
MORE TOWARD REPUBLICAN SUPPORT ABOUT WHAT IS THE RATIO?
DO YOU RELY ON 100 DEMOCRATS IN THE HOUSE?
DO YOU TRY TO KEEP TWO THIRDS OF YOUR REPUBLICAN MAJORITY ON
BOARD? BUT IF THEY CAN GET A DEAL
BETWEEN BIDEN AND MCCARTHY, IT IS A SAFE BET THEY WILL GET 60
IN THE SENATE. ANNMARIE: IF WORSE COMES TO WORSE, THERE
IS A DISCHARGE POSITION. IS THIS REAL? JACK:
KENNETH THE HAIL MARY -- THAT IS A HAIL MARY, THE IDEA OF
FORCING SOMETHING IN THE HOUSE FOR A CLEAN DEBT LIMIT INCREASE.
THAT HAS BEEN FLOATED BY DEMOCRATS THAT YOU WOULD NEED
MODERATE REPUBLICANS TO CHANGE THEIR POSITION.
THEY JUST VOTED FOR THE REPUBLICAN BILL.
YOU WOULD NEED THEM TO SIGN-UP TO FORCE A VOTE.
THAT IS A HAIL MARY. THAT WOULD BE IF DEMOCRATS WIN
A GAME OF CHICKEN THE DISCHARGE PETITION IS RELEVANT BUT
OTHERWISE IT IS HOW MANY CONCESSIONS CAN MCCARTHY GET
OUT OF BIDEN.