WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden said he was "very optimistic" on Friday about reaching a compromise deal with House Republicans to raise the debt ceiling before a June 5 deadline announced earlier in the day. "I hope we'll have some clear evidence tonight, before the clock strikes twelve, that we have a deal," Biden told reporters on the South Lawn of the White House shortly after 6:00 p.m. White House and congressional negotiators were closing in on a deal to raise the debt ceiling for two years, officials familiar with the negotiations told CNBC earlier in the day Friday. "I'm hopeful we'll know by tonight whether we are going to be able to have a deal," Biden said. Under a proposal that was on the table Friday, House Republicans would achieve at least two of their highest priorities in exchange for voting to raise the debt ceiling.

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Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, hadn't, Janet Yellen, Garret Graves of Organizations: WASHINGTON, House Republicans, CNBC, Republican, Capitol, Treasury, Republicans, Internal Revenue Service, Pentagon Locations: White, U.S, Garret Graves of Louisiana