Negotiators have ‘made progress’ but no debt limit deal as deadline nears: McCarthy

With a potential debt default just six days away, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy arrived at the Capitol Friday telling reporters he remained optimistic despite no deal in hand.

McCarthy said negotiators “made progress” overnight but wouldn’t get into specifics of the framework being discussed.

“And I’m gonna work as hard as we can to try to get this done, get more progress today and finish the job,” the speaker told reporters. “I’m a total optimist.”

But when asked if they could reach a deal today, McCarthy’s demurred.

“Look, I’m gonna work as hard as I can. As soon as we get a deal, we’re gonna…