What McCarthy and Biden need to do to get the debt ceiling deal over the line trends now
President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are remaining confident Congress will get the debt ceiling deal across the finish line, despite opposition from some disgruntled Republicans and progressive Democrats who are threatening to try and tank the bill.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy struck a deal over the weekend with President Biden to raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion to a total of $35 trillion and suspend the nation's debt limit through 2025 to avoid a federal default by June 5.
However, hard line conservatives including those on the House Freedom Caucus say the 99-page bill doesn't go far enough to curb federal spending and have called it a 'blank check' to Democrats.
House Republicans, who passed a bill last month - the Limit, Save, Grow Act - that would only raise the ceiling by $1.5 trillion, say the additional $4 trillion extension goes beyond that is necessary and gives the Biden administration the ability to overspend for his next two years in office.
They also are opposed to the deal because it does not fully rescind all $80 billion in IRS funding or the 87,000 new agents, fails to cap federal spending for 10 years and does not reclaim all $50 billion in unspent COVID funds.
It is now being floated that Freedom Caucus Republicans may join together with progressive members in the House in an attempt to tank the deal.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy unveiled the 99-page bill raising the debt ceiling to avoid the U.S. defaulting
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy struck a deal over the weekend with President Biden to raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion to a total of $35 trillion
However, the leader of the Democrats in the House - Rep. Hakeem Jeffries - says he expects Democratic support for the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which is set for a Wednesday vote in the House.
He said on 'Face the Nation' Sunday that his caucus will be expected to vote for the deal because it 'protects' the 'American people' and access to Social Security, and Medicare and Medicaid and care for veterans.
House Democrats also also set to meet on Wednesday morning with Biden's negotiators OMB Director Shalanda Young, John Podesta and Aviva Aron-Dine.
In addition, the New Democrat Coalition which has over 100 members comprised by center-left Democrats in the House says its members will support the deal in a statement Monday.
The bill also first must go through the House Rules Committee Tuesday, which needs the support of the majority of Republicans on the panel.
If the bill doesn't pass out of the Rules Committee, it cannot be considered on the floor for an entire-body vote - which is currently scheduled for Wednesday.
Rep. Chip Roy - who is opposed to the bill - has threatened to hold up the legislation during the Rules Committee process, which requires at least seven GOP votes according to a handshake agreement struck between McCarthy and Roy during the tumultuous speaker vote.
'A reminder that during Speaker negotiations to build the coalition, that it was explicit both that nothing would pass Rules Committee without AT LEAST 7 GOP votes - AND that the Committee would not allow reporting out rules without unanimous Republican votes,' Roy tweeted Monday.
So, far GOP congressmen who are opposing the bill include: Ralph Norman - who is on the Rules Committee - Byron Donalds, Andrew Clyde, Dan Bishop, Keith Self, Ken Buck, Bob Good,
