Debt Ceiling: McCarthy Confidence Aside, Smooth Sailing For Deal In Congress Unlikely As Opposing Voices Increase

The debt ceiling deal agreed to by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is unlikely to face smooth sailing through Congress as a couple of Republicans have reportedly said they would oppose the bill. The mounting opposition to the agreement raises concerns as the government is expected to run out of options to fund itself by June 5, according to the Treasury Department.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, said the deal does not do enough to change the fiscal trajectory. ‘Our country is careening toward bankruptcy, and after this debt ceiling “deal” it will still be careening toward bankruptcy. The deal green lights $4 trillion in new debt over the next year and a half, locks in inflated levels of spending from COVID, and keeps 98% of the Biden IRS expansion,' he wrote on Twitter.

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An important first test is set on Tuesday, when the House Rules Committee takes up the bill, as part of a necessary step before a vote in the full House, said a Reuters report. The panel is usually closely aligned with House leadership; however, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was forced to include some skeptical conservatives in lieu of winning the speaker’s position, the report said.

Opposing Voices: One of those conservatives, Representative Chip Roy, stated on Tuesday he did not support the bill. “It’s not a good deal. Some $4 trillion in debt for — at best — a two-year spending freeze and no serious substantive policy reforms,” Roy wrote on Twitter.

Similarly, Representative Ralph Norman, too, has spoken against the deal. ‘This "deal" is insanity. A $4T debt ceiling increase with virtually no cuts is not what we agreed to. Not gonna vote to bankrupt our country. The American people deserve better," he tweeted.

In the Senate, Republican Mike Lee also came out against the deal, the report said.

Despite the opposing voices, McCarthy told reporters on Monday he was not worried about the deal's prospects in the committee. The House Speaker has predicted it will receive support from most of his fellow Republicans, who control the House. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated he expects support from his side of the aisle, though many on his party’s left may vote against it, according to the Reuters report.

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