WASHINGTON – The reviews are starting to come in as details emerge about the debt ceiling agreement President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy.
Even before those details were seen, some lawmakers criticized the deal as not doing enough to address the nation’s debt, while others worried it was too austere and would hurt many low-income Americans.
The legislation will likely need the support of a significant number of lawmakers from both parties to clear the closely divided House and get the 60 votes needed to advance in the Senate.
Many lawmakers said they were withholding judgment until they saw the final details, many of which did not come out until Sunday evening. That’s when the 99-page bill that resulted from the Biden-McCarthy negotiations was made public.
Here’s a look at how the deal is going so far:
Early concerns
Some of the earliest objections came from more conservative members of Congress, particularly members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus that often clashes with GOP leadership.
“I think it’s a disaster!” tweeted Matt Rosendale, R-Mont.
“Fake conservatives accept fake spending cuts,” tweeted Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
“This ‘deal’ is crazy,” tweeted Rep. Ralph Norman, RS.C. “A $4 trillion increase in the debt ceiling with virtually no cuts is not what we agreed to. We will not vote to bankrupt our country. The American people deserve better.”
GOP leaders always knew they would lose the support of some members in any compromise with a Democratic-led White House and Senate. The question has always been whether the deal would garner enough Democratic support to offset those defections.
Democrats step in
As much as some Democrats don’t like what’s roughly a spending freeze on non-defense programs next year and the labor irritation requirements being extended to more food stamp recipients, the Initial reaction has been circumspect as they wait for more details.
Rep. Annie Kuster, D-N.H., president of a center-left group known as the New Dems, which has about 100 members, said the group is “confident” that White House negotiators offered a “viable, bipartisan solution to end him.” this crisis”.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said he believed it was the best deal that could be reached given the demands of House Republicans.
“To my colleagues who have serious misgivings about this deal, I say this is much better than a default,” Coons said.
The most likely opposition will come from the more liberal members of the caucus. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., has voiced her opposition to additional work requirements for some of those receiving cash and food assistance. On Sunday, he called her a terrible politician on CNN’s “State of the Union.”
But he said he is also awaiting legislative text to determine the level of exemptions to work requirements that Biden was able to win for veterans, the homeless and people leaving foster care.
“And so what the numbers look like at the end of the day, I’m not sure,” said Jayapal, chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “However, it is a bad policy. I told the president that directly, when he called me last week on Wednesday, that this is telling poor people and people in need that we do not trust each other.”
Asked if Democrats in the White House and congressional leadership should worry about whether the progressive caucus will support the bill, Jayapal said, “Yes, they should.”
A provision that fast-tracks approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline in West Virginia and Virginia, also adds to the consternation many Democrats will have about the bill. They had managed to keep it out of previous bills, but Sen. Joe Manchin, DW.V. and other members of the West Virginia delegation prevailed on including it in the debt limit bill. Environmental groups strongly criticized its inclusion on Sunday evening.
BUSINESS GROUP SUPPORT
With the nation about a week away from the risk of a default that could hit the global economy, major business groups have called on Washington to act quickly to raise the debt ceiling.
The Business Roundtable, a group of more than 200 CEOs, called on Congress to pass the bill as soon as possible.
“In addition to raising the debt ceiling, this deal takes steps to put the US on a more sustainable fiscal path,” said the group’s CEO, Joshua Bolten. “This agreement also makes a down payment on permitting reform, helping to clear the way for new energy infrastructure projects.”
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also urged a favorable vote, noting that the vote will be included when the group scores, or “cards,” members of Congress based on how they vote on business priorities.
Economists have been clear that the economy would be hurt by even a short-term default in the nation’s ability to fully pay its bills as interest rates rise and financial markets falter.
“The seriousness of this moment cannot be overstated,” said Suzanne Clark, president and CEO of the business group.
GUARDIAN GROUPS APPROVE
Some advocacy groups have long warned of Congress’ propensity to enact policy priorities without paying for them in full. Their concerns are generally ignored. But some see the deal as a step in the right direction.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget noted that if the legislation passes, it would be the first major budget deal to reduce the deficit in nearly a dozen years.
“The process was tense, risky and ugly, but in the end, we have a plan to enact savings and raise the debt ceiling, and that’s what it takes,” said Maya MacGuineas, the group’s president.
