Biden, McCarthy Rush to Collect Enough Votes for Bipartisan Debt Deal Before Default Deadline

The House Rules Committee is meeting today to discuss the bipartisan budget deal agreed to over the weekend, with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) saying he hopes for a vote on the bill on Wednesday.  
 
"Maybe it doesn't do everything for everyone, but this is a step in the right direction," McCarthy told Fox News. 

President Biden says he feels "very good" about the bill moving through Congress. 
 
"There is no reason why it shouldn't get done by the 5th," Biden told reporters. "I'm confident that we'll get a vote in both houses, and we'll see."

Biden and McCarthy now must work to garner enough votes to get the bill through Congress. 
 
At least ten House Republicans are leaning toward or plan to vote "no" on the bill saying it doesn't do enough to cut government spending. 

READ Is a Republican Revolt Brewing Against the Debt Ceiling Agreement?

"There's so much in this that's positive, and measure it to all the other debt ceilings – when Republicans had the presidency, the Senate, and the House – did they ever cut spending? No, they increased it," argued McCarthy on Fox News. 

McCarthy claims Republicans scored "a historic series of wins" in the legislation including cutting spending year over year for the first time in a decade while fully funding national defense and veterans' health benefits, clawing back $30 billion in unspent COVID relief funds, and achieving work requirements for welfare programs.

While the White House feels they struck a good deal, some Democrats are less enthusiastic. 

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, worries the cuts are too deep. "I think it is really unfortunate that the president opened the door to this," claimed Jayapal. 

The White House acknowledges neither side got everything it wanted, but they're proud to have protected Biden's legislative agenda of the last two and a half years and pushed back demands from the GOP's first proposal.

I have faith in President Biden and his negotiating team, and I believe that this is the best deal that could be reached, given the damaging demands of House Republicans. It protects critical accomplishments of the Biden Presidency and key programs on which Delawareans rely.

— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) May 28, 2023

Democratic Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) tweeted that this deal "is the only way forward to avoid a disastrous default" adding he feels this deal is the best that could be reached. 

If the bill passes the House it still has to clear the Senate by the June 5 deadline. Senate leaders say they plan to act swiftly to keep the U.S. from an unprecedented financial disaster next week.