Sunday shows preview: Both sides show optimism in debt limit talks, despite road bumps

As a potential default looms less than two weeks away, ongoing efforts between the White House and Republicans to strike a deal on the debt limit will likely dominate the Sunday talk show circuit this weekend.

Both President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) have voiced optimism about negotiations in recent days, despite some road bumps.

“We’re not there. We haven’t agreed to anything yet. But I see the path that we could come through,” McCarthy said on Thursday, adding, “It’d be important to try to have the agreement, especially in principle, by sometime this weekend.”

The Speaker, who is set to join Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures,” has emphasized that the two sides need to come to an agreement this weekend to allow enough time for legislation to pass through the House and Senate by June 1.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who will make an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, has repeatedly warned lawmakers that the U.S. could default on its debt as early as June 1. 

Negotiations temporarily broke down on Friday, as Republican lawmakers expressed frustration with a lack of “movement” by the White House on spending cuts that the GOP has sought to tie to the debt ceiling increase.

The two sides resumed talks later on Friday, with the White House expressing optimism despite their “serious differences.”

“We have serious differences and this is going to continue to be a difficult conversation. That’s not lost on us,” press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, adding, “We are optimistic, the president is optimistic that we’re going to get to a reasonable budget negotiation, a budget agreement here, a bipartisan budget agreement.”

However, two-thirds of Americans said in a recent AP-NORC poll that they are extremely or very concerned about a potential default and its impact on the U.S. economy.

Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), co-chairs of the Problem Solvers Caucus, will join CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday to discuss the possibility of bipartisan compromise on the debt ceiling.

ABC’s “This Week” will also chat with House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) about the ongoing negotiations and sticking points between the two sides.

Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this week’s Sunday talk shows:

ABC’s “This Week” — Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.); Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-Texas)

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen; Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.); Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.)

CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Mayors Eric Adams of New York and Francis Suarez of Miami; Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.); former Defense Secretary Robert Gates; Scott Gottlieb, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner

CNN’s “State of the Union” — National security adviser Jake Sullivan; Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.); Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.)

“Fox News Sunday” — Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.)

Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” — Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.); Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Michael McCaul (R-Texas); former Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif), Trump Media CEO; Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.)