Contorted debt limit process advances, allowing Schumer to move ahead on Build Back Better
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The ridiculously convoluted process cooked up by congressional leadership this week to keep the U.S. from defaulting on its debt advanced Tuesday night when the House passed a bill that gives the Senate permission to pass a debt ceiling hike with aContorted debt limit process advances, allowing Schumer to move ahead on Build Back Better
The ridiculously convoluted process cooked up by congressional leadership this week to keep the U.S. from defaulting on its debt advanced Tuesday night when the House passed a bill that gives the Senate permission to pass a debt ceiling hike with a simple majority vote—this one time only. The bill passed as part of the rule tied to passing the National Defense Authorization Act, which also moved forward Tuesday on a 363-70 vote. As soon as that was done, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer set up a procedural vote for Thursday. That’s the point where Republicans could tank this if they felt like it. Because while this convoluted process will allow the Senate Democrats to raise the debt ceiling without Republican help—again, this time only—the bill that allows it is subject to a 60-vote majority and Republican filibuster. Because the Senate has become a ridiculous, absurd institution. If Republicans decide to let it happen, the final vote could happen as quickly as Thursday, but it likely to be on Friday. Because many are going to attend former Sen. Bob Dole’s funeral in Kansas this weekend, Republicans might be more likely to agree to have a Thursday vote so everyone can just leave. Some Senate Republicans are opposed, but Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has scraped together the 10 votes to do it because it has strict restraints: not only is the majority allowed to save the nation from default this time only, Democrats are required to specify the dollar amount of the debt as some kind of “gotcha” about big spending. They believe this works in large part because the media reporting on the issue fails regularly to point out that this is about past spending—it’s paying the bills already accrued, more than 90% of it in the Trump administration. This is all about Democrats cleaning up a Republican mess. By themselves. Again. Read more
