Republican lawmakers oppose US debt ceiling deal, indicating Congressional roadblocks
1 min read 30 May 2023, 09:35 AM ISTExpressing his opposition to the bill, Ron DeSantis, the Governor of Florida and a contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, said the deal fails to address the country's fiscal trajectory and ‘the country will still be careening toward bankruptcy after this deal’.
PremiumSeveral Republican lawmakers in the US have opposed the proposed deal aimed at raising the United States' current debt ceiling of $31.4 trillion, signaling a potential challenge that President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy may face as they seek to garner support for the bill in both the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Democratic-controlled Senate, Reuters reported.
The 99 pages-proposed bill aims to suspend the debt limit until January 1, 2025, and also limit government spending over the next two years.
Expressing his opposition to the bill, Ron DeSantis, the Governor of Florida and a contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, said the deal fails to address the country's fiscal trajectory and ‘the country will still be careening toward bankruptcy after this deal’.
Representative Chip Roy also came out to oppose the bill saying it was ‘not a good deal’.
“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.
In the Senate, Republican Senator Mike Lee also voiced his opposition to the bill. Another committee member, Ralph Norman, is also against the agreement, Reuters reported.
Representative Raul Grijalva, a progressive Democrat, said that the bill's changes to environmental rules were “disturbing and profoundly disappointing."
This dissent could indicate a challenging vote in the Senate and with Democrats holding a narrow majority of 51-49 in the Senate, passage may face hurdles.
However, despite such opposition, proponents of the deal remain optimistic about its passage through Congress before the United States exhausts its financial resources, as projected by the Treasury Department to occur on June 5th.
House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy also expressed confidence on Monday, stating that he is not concerned about the prospects of the package in the committee.
McCarthy predicts that the majority of his fellow Republicans, who currently control the House with a 222-213 margin, will support the bill.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries also expects support from his side, although some on his party’s left may oppose the bill.
Meanwhile, President Biden has also been actively engaged in discussions and is reaching out to lawmakers via telephone. He has expressed his optimism, stating, “I feel good about it. We will see how the voting process unfolds," during a press briefing.
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