US lawmakers are racing against time to prevent the first default before June 5, the day Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warns the US will not be able to pay its national debt.
Despite facing backlash from both the far right and far left, the bill eventually passed the House with significant bipartisan support, albeit by a wide margin.
The final vote total was 314–117, with Republicans having 149 votes in favor and 71 votes against and Democrats having 165 votes in favor and 46 votes against.
The Senate will now send the bill to President Joe Biden’s desk. “This agreement is good news for the American people and the American economy. I urge the Senate to pass it as quickly as possible so I can sign it into law,” Biden said after the vote.
The bill would temporarily eliminate the federal government’s debt ceiling through January 1, 2025. It would also limit some government spending for the next two years, speed up permitting for some energy projects, recover unused Covid-19 funds and expand requirements for people receiving food assistance.
After reaching a preliminary debt ceiling deal with President Joe Biden on May 27, the House Speaker continues to face new challenges. Photo: NBC News
By winning the bill, Mr. McCarthy downplayed concerns about divisions within the House Republican Party and celebrated policy concessions he had won in negotiations with Mr. Biden.
McCarthy won over more than two-thirds of his party, but Democrats ultimately outnumbered Republicans in favor of the bill. Conservative critics will use the issue to argue that the House speaker got a bad deal, Bloomberg reported.
Thus, Mr McCarthy's most glorious moment as Speaker of the House was also his most difficult.
Even if he succeeds in forcing Mr. Biden to concede, he will still face the wrath of right-wing lawmakers who are already considering whether to replace him in the House for failing to win deeper spending cuts and restrictions on social programs.
The danger Mr McCarthy faces is the result of concessions he made to become Speaker of the House, including an agreement that any member of Congress could petition to remove him from office. Under the agreement, Mr McCarthy could be removed at any time with just one vote.
On the morning of May 30, North Carolina Representative Dan Bishop said he was considering whether to introduce a motion to remove McCarthy from office. However, Bishop's opinion did not receive support from other conservatives.
Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado even defended Mr McCarthy, saying the deal’s shortcomings were not his fault. By the end of the day, Mr Bishop had abandoned the idea and refused to discuss it as he left the Republican caucus .
Nguyen Tuyet (According to Bloomberg, CNN, Reuters)
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