Hoyer: No Real Progress on Debt Limit Deal

The Hill reports:

No real progress has been made in the discussions on a debt-ceiling compromise, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer said Thursday.

"I'm not optimistic from the standpoint there's really been no substantive progress made yet," Hoyer said in an interview with CNBC.

Other lawmakers have expressed optimism that the bipartisan talks being led by Vice President Biden are progressing toward a deal on raising the debt ceiling. Lawmakers are working to craft a compromise before Aug. 2, when the U.S. will reach its borrowing limit, according to the Treasury Department.

Hoyer said this week that Republicans played a "game" with the debt ceiling by holding a vote on an unconditional debt-ceiling increase. That vote failed, with all Republicans and 82 Democrats voting against it.

"Unfortunately this week we played a game," Hoyer said. "We played a game with the Republicans on the debt limit knowing full well that it must be extended and it would be catastrophic if we didn't have put on a piece of legislation designed to fail. In fact, every Republican voted against it. I decided not to play the game with them."