FILE – President Joe Biden speaks at the White House Conservation in Action Summit at the Department of the Interior, March 21, 2023, in Washington.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

VALHALLA, N.Y. (AP) — President Joe Biden is blasting Republican demands for federal spending cuts as “devastating.” He made his case in a campaign-style speech to voters in Valhalla, New York, on Wednesday. At the same time, lawmakers met in Washington to try to find a path forward to lifting the government’s borrowing limit and avoiding a potentially catastrophic default as soon as June 1. The president showed an increased willingness to discuss possible deficit savings, yet he said that any talks should occur without the risk of the federal government being unable to pay its bills.