The deal President Joe Biden struck with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy over the weekend is on the brink of falling apart as a number of Republicans vow to vote no on the legislation. Democrats also aren't happy.
“None of the things in the bill are Democrat priorities.”
— Chad Gilmartin (@ChadGilmartinCA) May 28, 2023
—Democrat Rep. Jim Himes pic.twitter.com/WwJUepNhBg
In recent days, conservative Reps. Chip Roy, Byron Donalds, Lauren Boebert, Andrew Clyde, Wesley Hunt and Dan Bishop have expressed their discontent with the bill. Roy has been actively working to tank it.
We are barreling towards unlimited debt in this country….
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) May 30, 2023
The government has grown 40% since COVID.
It is time to cut off the Swamp and return to pre-COVID spending #ShrinkWashingtonGrowAmerica pic.twitter.com/hSafValW6m
I don’t know. In DC trying to figure it out. https://t.co/U72Bjn2s85
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) May 29, 2023
Chip Roy on debt ceiling: “There’s going to be a block of us that are a no,” House Rules Committee member tells @MikeEmanuelFox. “We should kill this. We should move forward. We should pass a short term debt ceiling change…let's do it right, let's not lift the debt $4 trillion.”
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) May 29, 2023
Congresswoman Nancy Mace, who is often classified as a Republican moderate, is a no.
Let’s dive into the bill:
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 30, 2023
This “deal” normalizes record high spending started during the pandemic. It sets these historically high spending levels as the baseline for all future spending. The bill then grows govt even more each year at about ~1%.
Govt grew massively over the past 3 years. This growth was supposed to be emergency funding only during COVID. During this time, govt grew 40% or by $2 trillion from 2019 to 2023. We went from spending just over $4T to spending just over $6T.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 30, 2023
The bill doesn’t actually set a debt limit. Rather it suspends the debt limit entirely until Jan. 2, 2025 and there is no actual amount capping the debt ceiling.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 30, 2023
And only in DC is a bill clawing back small amounts of unspent COVID funds considered a cut.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 30, 2023
They tell us this bill cuts $41b in its first year; about the same amount as the unspent COVID funds. Pretty convenient. Also not a cut.
And on that note, do we really think the states will send back unspent COVID funds or will they find a way to use the money so they don't have to send it back?
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 30, 2023
A $1.4b cut to the IRS doesn’t equal $80b in cuts to the IRS. Nor does it mean we are “gutting” the IRS or its 87k new hires.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 30, 2023
Allegedly there will be $10b cut off top for 2024 during the approps process. But it’s also not in bill. That money can be cut anywhere the IRS decides.
Manchin’s carve out for his pipeline is not germane to the bill. This is just your run of the mill govt picking winners and losers in the market and business as usual in Washington. 🙃
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 30, 2023
Fully funds every spending request by the Administration (pretty much).
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 30, 2023
63% of Americans want Congress to cut spending as part of a debt ceiling deal. This bill doesn’t do that.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 30, 2023
Unacceptable.
Washington is, was and always will be lousy at responsibly spending your tax dollars.
— Rep. Nancy Mace (@RepNancyMace) May 30, 2023
That won’t change unless we demand change.
Freshman Republican Eli Crane is also a "hard no."
The people of #AZ02 did not send me to DC to be complicit in the managed decline of this country.
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) May 30, 2023
We’re nearing $32 trillion in debt. The proposed deal guarantees that we will add at least another $4 trillion by 2025. That’s insanely foolish.
I’m a hard no.
Given the tight margin in the House, Biden and McCarthy can only afford to lose eight Republican votes before the legislation fails to pass, unless Democrats make up the gap with yay votes. On Friday Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen put out a new warning, saying the U.S. will run out of cash and default on June 5.
Yellen Announces Updated 'X-Date' for Debt Default
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) May 26, 2023
https://t.co/e3fFi1kCv4
The House Freedom Caucus will hold a press briefing at noon eastern opposing the bill.
This post has been updated with additional information.
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