What’s Happening:
For months, Congress has been flipping out over the debt ceiling. Economists warned that if the ceiling wasn’t raised the government would default. So, lawmakers on both sides were yelling at the other, demanding a deal get done. Even Joe Biden buckled, agreeing to a deal that includes spending cuts along with the debt ceiling raise.
But even then, some Republicans weren’t happy.
Hardliners on the right are upset about the deal. Some have even floated removing McCarthy from the speakership over this bill. A number of Republicans vowed not to support the measure, even though the country’s economy is on the line. And that forced Democrats to do the unthinkable.
From The Post Millennial:
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) Fiscal Responsibility Act, a debt ceiling deal made with President Joe Biden, was strongly criticized by both conservative Republicans and far-left Democrats passing 314 to 117 with 149 Republicans joining 165 Democrats to approve the bill.
More Democrats than Republicans voted in favor of the compromise legislation negotiated between Biden and McCarthy over the Memorial Day weekend with 71 Republicans and 46 Democrats opposing the bill with four members of the chamber not voting.
Wow. More Democrats voted for this bill than Republicans. A whopping 71 House Republicans broke from the party to vote against it. Only 46 Democrats refused to vote for it. McCarthy actually got 165 Democrats to side with him to get this bill passed.
What does that mean for the Speaker’s future? We can’t forget that most Republicans did vote for the bill, 149 of them. But for McCarthy to need Democrats to support this bill so it would go through might spell trouble down the road.
Those right-wing hardliners might use this to undermine McCarthy’s leadership.
However, McCarthy will most likely call this a win for his party. He landed a deal so effective, that it got Democrats to vote for it. Remember, this was a deal McCarthy brokered with Joe Biden. It includes cuts to the IRS, so they can’t hire their precious 87,000 agents.
The bill includes work requirements for welfare recipients, something Democrats strongly oppose. This bill isn’t a win for the Democrats, yet they voted for it because they knew it would be a disaster if it didn’t pass.
McCarthy can go to the American public and tout this achievement. He saved the country from defaulting, even getting Joe Biden to bend the knee and compromise. What will Democrats say about that now?
Key Takeaways:
- McCarthy’s debt ceiling bill passed with Democrat support in the House.
- The Speaker brokered this deal with Biden, who previously vowed no compromises.
- More Democrats voted for the bill than Republicans, with 79 Republicans voting against it.
Source: The Post Millennial
