House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif) defended his debt ceiling deal with Democrats despite pushback by his Republican colleagues.
After announcing an "agreement in principle" on Saturday, McCarthy faced criticism from his party after admitting that Republicans may not get everything they wanted from the legislation.
"Maybe it doesn't do everything for everyone, but this is a step in the right direction that no one thought that we would be able to today," McCarthy told Fox News, but added that the Democratic Party also was not going to get all of their demands either.
"I'll debate this bill with anybody," McCarthy continued. "Is it everything I wanted? No, because we don't control all of it. But it is the biggest recession in history. It is the biggest cut Congress has ever voted for in that process."
As the two parties finalize an agreement on the looming issue, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said that Democrats don't see "one thing" in their favor regarding the deal.
"Right now, the Democrats are very upset," McCarthy said. "But every time that there is an agreement and negotiation between the president and Congress, both parties, when they have an agreement, come together and vote for the bill because both of them talk about it."
Recommended
On Saturday, McCarthy and President Joe Biden came to a tentative agreement to cap spending and raise the debt ceiling to avoid a default on trillions of dollars in debt.
The House Speaker said he expects the House to vote on the bill on Wednesday before it heads to the Senate. First, however, the bill will sit for public review for 72 hours before the House votes.
Despite attacks from the GOP, McCarthy said the party's opposition was not a problem because "more than 95% of all those in the conference were very excited."
Join the conversation as a VIP Member