[White House Press Secretary: debt ceiling negotiations are fruitful but the two parties still have differences] May 26, White House Press Secretary Karina Jean-Pierre said at a briefing on the same day on May 25, local time, White House negotiators and House Speaker McCarthy's team had "fruitful discussions" on the debt ceiling issue, and both sides agreed that "default is not an option." Pierre said there were still differences between the two parties on budget priorities, but representatives of both parties understood that a plan was needed to reach an agreement that would win support from both sides.