WASHINGTON – The debt ceiling bill is one step closer to passing the House.
The House Rules Committee voted Tuesday evening to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote by the full chamber, a move that marks a major hurdle for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. , after GOP hardliners on the commission threatened to oppose it. advance the legislation.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. it was a crucial Republican vote to move the bill forward.
“My interest in being on this committee was not to imprint my ideology. I think it’s an inappropriate use of the Rules Committee,” he said Tuesday afternoon.
Lawmakers on the committee approved the legislation 7-6. Two Republican lawmakers, Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Ralph Norman of South Carolina, voted with the four Democratic lawmakers on the committee.
The Biden-McCarthy deal would suspend the debt ceiling until the end of 2024, keep discretionary spending flat next year and limit spending to a 1 percent increase in 2025.
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Freedom Caucus members vote no
Two members of the Freedom Caucus who serve on the committee – Norman and Roy – opposed the legislation and voted against advancing it to the full House.
During the speaker vote last January, McCarthy made concessions to some Freedom Caucus members by giving committee assignments to key congressional panels like the powerful House Rules Committee, which is tasked with bringing legislation to the Chamber Both Norman and Roy opposed McCarthy as speaker earlier this year and expressed concern about the debt ceiling deal.
“Not good business,” Roy tweeted. “About $4 trillion in debt for, at best, a two-year spending freeze and no major policy reforms.”
what happens next
The House will now fully vote on the law, which will take place on Wednesday.
As of Tuesday, more than 20 Republican lawmakers said they would oppose the bill during a full House vote. That means McCarthy could need the full support of the Democratic caucus to reach the 218 votes needed to pass the legislation in the House.
‘Betrayal’:McCarthy faces revolt from GOP conservatives over debt limit deal with Biden
