What McCarthy and Biden need to do to get the debt ceiling deal over the line

President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy are confident that Congress will push the debt ceiling deal through, despite opposition from some disaffected Republicans and progressive Democrats who threaten to try to cut the bill down .

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy struck a deal with President Biden this weekend to raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion to a total of $35 trillion and suspend the country’s debt limit through 2025 to avoid federal bankruptcy by June 5.

However, hardline conservatives, including those from the House Freedom Caucus, say the 99-page bill doesn’t go far enough to curb federal spending and called it a “blank check” for Democrats.

House Republicans, who passed a bill last month — the Limit, Save, Grow Act — that would only raise the cap by $1.5 trillion, say the additional $4 trillion extension goes beyond what is necessary and the Biden administration the opportunity to overspend for his next two years in office.

They also oppose the deal because it doesn’t completely repeal all $80 billion in IRS funding or the 87,000 new agents, doesn’t cap federal spending for 10 years, and doesn’t recoup all $50 billion in unspent COVID funds.

It is now being floated that Republicans from the Freedom Caucus may join progressive members in the House in an effort to thwart the deal.

The leader of the House Democrats – Rep. Hakeem Jeffries — however, says he expects Democratic support for the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which will be voted on Wednesday in the House.

He said on “Face the Nation” Sunday that his caucus is expected to vote for the deal because it “protects” the American people and access to Social Security, and Medicare and Medicaid and care for veterans.

House Democrats were also scheduled to meet with Biden’s negotiators on Wednesday morning, OMB director Shalanda Young, John Podesta and Aviva Aron-Dine.

In addition, the New Democratic Coalition, which has more than 100 members made up of center-left Democrats in the House, says its members will support the deal in a statement Monday.

The bill must also pass the House Rules Committee on Tuesday, which needs the support of the majority of Republicans on the panel.

If the bill does not leave the Rules Committee, it cannot be considered for a full-body vote – which is currently scheduled for Wednesday.

Rep. Chip Roy — who opposes the bill — has threatened to block the legislation during the Rules Committee process, which requires at least seven GOP votes during the tumultuous speaker vote, according to a handshake agreement between McCarthy and Roy.

A reminder that during the speaker’s negotiations to build the coalition, it was explicit that nothing would get through the Rules Committee without AT LEAST 7 GOP votes — AND that the committee would not allow rule reporting without unanimous Republican votes,” Roy tweeted Monday.

So far GOP members of Congress opposing the bill include: Ralph Norman – who sits on the Rules Committee – Byron Donalds, Andrew Clyde, Dan Bishop, Keith Self, Ken Buck, Bob Good, Matt Rosendale, Andy Biggs, Andrew Clyde and Lauren Boebert.

Thomas Massie, who also sits on the Rules Committee, has not yet made a final decision on the bill, although he is critical of it on Twitter.

Republicans will hold an in-person conference meeting Tuesday evening as the operation to whip up votes intensifies.

Another major issue dividing Republicans is the defense spending cap.

In the McCarthy-Biden deal, spending is capped on all non-defense credits that remain about the same in fiscal year 2024 and only increase by one percent the following year.

GOP Senator Lindsey Graham called the deal Monday a “disaster for defense.”

“I will use all the powers at my disposal in the Senate to get amendments to reverse this catastrophe for the defense,” Graham tweeted Monday.

“I support raising the 90-day debt limit to give us a chance to rectify this disaster for defense,” the South Carolina senator continued.

Totally disgusted with the decision of political leaders to remotely enable the undermining of our national security apparatus at a time of great peril. Take this absurd idea off the table.’

Biden addressed concerns about Pentagon funding as he left the White House on Monday, saying that if there is a need for additional funding, the military will receive it.

“Whatever the force needs, if there’s one more — first, they’ve gone over my budget, which I asked for in my defense. They passed that. If there is any other need for additional funding, I have no doubt we will get it. We would do it together.’

The president also told reporters that he has spoken to a number of lawmakers about the deal, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

Biden added that touting the deal is not necessarily the best way to win votes in support of the legislation.

On the left, progressives have opposed some of the proposed changes to work requirements in social programs, including food stamps.

The Biden-McCarthy deal addresses a long-standing Republican priority of expanding work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

While there are already work requirements for most able-bodied adults between the ages of 18 and 49, the bill raises the age limit to 54, but has an expiration date and would reduce the age to 49 by 2030.

The agreement would also make changes to the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program, which provides cash assistance to families with children.

While not going as far as the bill passed by the House proposed, the deal would make adjustments to a credit that would allow states to require fewer recipients to work, update and readjust the credit to make it more difficult for states to avoid .

The ‘Squad’ Rep. However, Pramilia Jayapal says Biden is opening the door to adding to the burden on struggling Americans.

The Washington congressman warned in an interview on Sunday that Democratic leaders “should be concerned” about whether progressive lawmakers will support the bill because of this provision.

Jayapal and Biden have not yet discussed the legislation, the president confirmed Monday.

It remains to be seen if other progressives will line up with complaints that Biden will have to address in order to get the bill through by June 5.