Congress’s race against time before the nation’s funds dry up: All eyes are on the House of Representatives as the Democratic leader tries to force a clean vote on the debt ceiling. McConnell says the Senate is not a “relevant player” in the negotiations
- Democrats and Republicans are feeling a renewed sense of urgency after the Treasury Department said the nation could run out of money to pay its bills as early as June 1
- Jeffries would need the signatures of five GOP moderators in the House to move the bill forward and would need 60 votes in the Senate to pass it
- McConnell confirms he will attend a White House meeting with McCarthy next week but will sit on the sidelines
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries signaled he would try to force a vote on a clean debt ceiling hike using a parliamentary tactic known as a relief motion, though Republicans continue to insist the president must negotiate.
With financial markets eyeing the possible pullback should Republicans and Democrats fail to reach an agreement, it offers the prospect of finding a solution — but one with little chance of work.
The Republican bill that would cut some of President Joe Biden’s pet programs is dead by the time it arrives in the Democrat-led Senate. Now Jeffries is employing a rare procedural tactic that allows the minority to force a clean debt ceiling onto the floor.
The discharge motion allows a sizeable group of members to bypass leadership to speak directly to legislation.
“We will be in direct contact next week upon our return to Washington regarding the release effort,” Jeffries wrote in a letter to “Dear Colleagues.”
But Jeffries would need the signatures of five GOP moderators in the House of Representatives to advance the bill in addition to all of its members, and he would need 60 votes in the Senate to get it through.
“We will be in direct contact regarding the release effort next week upon our return to Washington,” Jeffries said in a letter to the honored colleague
Only two discharge motions have ever passed the House – in part because party leaders are digging deeper into their factions to not allow the minority party to seize control of the agenda and erode their influence.
Both Democrats and Republicans are feeling a renewed sense of urgency after the Treasury Department announced Monday that the nation could run out of money to pay its bills as early as June 1.
President Biden has called a meeting with McCarthy for May 9 after three months of refusing to meet with the GOP leader — although he insists he still won’t negotiate the debt ceiling.
He has also invited Jeffries, Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell – all of whom will attend the meeting.
Biden’s insistence that he will not negotiate is proving unpopular with Americans — a bipartisan majority and 74 percent of all respondents to an Echelon Insights poll insist the president “should agree to negotiations and try to find common ground in… to find reference to the debt ceiling, including some cuts in government spending.’
Although McConnell said he will be witnessing the negotiations, he stressed that the Senate has no central role in finalizing an agreement.
“The president and the speaker have to agree,” he said. “There is no solution in the Senate.”
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer insisted the Senate pass a clean debt ceiling package — throwing cold water at some Republicans’ idea of a short-term 30-day debt ceiling extension.
He put a vote for a clean debt ceiling on the Senate calendar.
“We shouldn’t kick the can out in the street. We should go full two years [extension].’
He plans to introduce a bill raising the debt limit by December 21, 2024, and insists the time to talk about budget cuts is only after the debt limit is raised.
Schumer also suppressed the possibility of invoking the 14th Amendment – citing as a tossed around idea a little-used provision that states: “The validity of the law-authorized United States public debt, including debt used for the payment of annuities.” and pensions Premiums for service in suppressing insurgency or rebellion are not in question.’
It offers a potential workaround in the event negotiations collapse completely and result in a potential default scenario, but the move would be fraught with uncertainty.
“The path to the goal is a clean debt ceiling,” Schumer said.
Invited: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is invited to the White House to address the budget and appropriations amid a looming debt crisis
Senate Republicans backed Speaker McCarthy by saying there would be no debt ceiling bill unless Democrats approved budget cuts.
“There will be no clean debt ceiling,” said Senate GOP whip John Thune.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday that Biden will not negotiate the debt limit at the meeting, but will “discuss initiating a separate process to address budget and appropriations.”
“The only viable way is to unconditionally suspend the debt limit,” said Jean-Pierre.
Last week, House Republicans passed party law that would raise the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion in exchange for $4.5 trillion in spending cuts. Biden had long insisted he would sit down with the speaker once Republicans had a written plan.