President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) have reached a tentative deal to raise the nation’s debt limit. The negotiations come as some members of Congress have shown displeasure with the emerging agreement.
McCarthy recently tweeted that after Biden “wasted time and refused to negotiate for months,” the two sides had “come to an agreement that is worthy of the American people.”
McCarthy described the agreement as including “historic reductions in spending, consequential reforms that will lift people out of poverty and into the workforce and rein in government overreach.”
He added that the deal included “no new taxes and no new government programs.”
Early indications are that the agreement would place a 1% cap on non-defense spending in the 2025 fiscal year.
One key difference between the tentative plan and a recent plan passed by House Republicans is that there are no further spending caps after 2025.
However, those around McCarthy highlighted an agreement that expands work requirements for some food stamp recipients. The deal would also reduce spending for the IRS.
While the tentative agreement indicates that Congress will likely pass a version of the compromise, not every member of the House agrees with the deal.
Several conservative House Republicans spoke out against the tentative agreement. Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA) wrote on Twitter that the deal included “virtually none of the key fiscally responsible policies passed” in the recent bill passed by the House.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) posted a graphic comparing the original House plan and the Biden-McCarthy agreement. He called on Republicans to make no more “swamp deals.”
“Hold the line,” he wrote.
Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) tweeted rhetorically that moving “the issue of the unsustainable debt beyond the presidential election” must be a “false rumor.”
Furthermore, 34 Republican members of the House GOP agreed not to support the new agreement. The representatives penned a letter stating that McCarthy should negotiate to further limit spending, including funding for the planned new headquarters for the FBI.
A $4 trillion debt ceiling increase?
With virtually none of the key fiscally responsible policies passed in the Limit, Save, Grow Act kept intact?
Hard pass. Hold the line.
— Rep. Andrew Clyde (@Rep_Clyde) May 27, 2023
“President Biden is entirely responsible for any breach in the debt ceiling, period,” the members wrote.
The representatives wrote that they are “behind” McCarthy.
“Use our unity to make history,” they wrote.
