US President Joe Biden meets with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) (L) about the debt ceiling, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 22, 2023. US President Joe Biden said he was 'optimistic' as he met Monday with top Republican Kevin McCarthy for their first one-on-one talks in months, with just 10 days left to stop a calamitous debt default. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)