GOP Rep. Nancy Mace listed a growing list of Republicans who balk at the price of the debt limit agreement that Chairman Kevin McCarthy reached with President Biden.
“Republicans have been outwitted by a president who can’t find his pants. I’m voting NO on the debt ceiling debacle because playing the DC game isn’t worth selling our kids and grandkids,” a said the South Carolina Republican when announcing her position on Tuesday.
The debt ceiling agreement includes $136 billion in budget cuts and suspends the debt ceiling until January 1, 2025 – after the 2024 election.
It leaves non-defense discretionary spending unchanged in 2024 and allows for a 1% increase in 2025 – essentially equating to cuts since inflation is not taken into account.
GOP Rep. Nancy Mace listed a growing list of Republicans who balk at the price of the debt limit deal that Chairman Kevin McCarthy cut with President Biden
“This ‘agreement’ normalizes the record spending started during the pandemic. It sets these historically high levels of spending as a benchmark for all future spending,’ Mace said on Twitter.
“After factoring in a small reduction in discretionary spending over the next 2 years, we’re still talking about $6,000,000 more or less in spending due to large increases in spending elsewhere. In other words, it’s a washout in terms of spending.
She joins a list of at least 19 non-Republicans final on the bill.
“After hearing about the debt ceiling agreement, I was a NO. After reading the debt ceiling agreement, I am absolutely NO!!’ Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., wrote on Twitter.
“This ‘deal’ is madness,” tweeted Rep. Ralph Norman, RS.C. “A $4 billion debt ceiling increase with virtually no reduction is not what we agreed to. I will not vote to bankrupt our country. The American people deserve better.
‘I think it’s a disaster!’ tweeted Matt Rosendale, R-Mont.
McCarthy will have to rely on Democratic “yes” votes to counter GOP noes. The nearly 100-member New Democratic Coalition came out in favor of the bill.
The speaker must also be careful due to a new rule allowing a single member of either party to force a vote to remove him from his position as speaker – known as a d cancellation by one person. Then, only a simple majority must vote to impeach him.
The deal increases military spending in 2023 to align with President Biden’s budget request – $886 billion – and limits discretionary non-defense spending – money that goes to things like enforcement law, foreign aid and scientific research – at $705 billion.
In fiscal year 2024, these numbers are only allowed to increase by 1% to $895 billion and $711 billion.
Spending on things like veterans’ health care is also in line with Biden’s budget request.
The bill faces its first major test on Tuesday when the House Rules Committee must pass it to send it to the House floor. McCarthy placed three hardline conservatives on the panel as part of a deal to secure his chairmanship.
Two have already said they will vote against the deal – Reps. Chip Roy and Ralph Norman, while one – Rep. Thomas Massie – has signaled he may allow the bill to be introduced.
It’s unclear if the four Democrats on the panel will vote to move the legislation, but Roy reminded McCarthy on Twitter that he promised during the speaker’s race not to move anything on the floor without at least seven of the nine votes. of the rules GOP.
The bill is vastly different from the party line, House-passed Limit, Save Grow Act that Republicans passed in April – which would have raised the debt limit by $1.5 trillion instead of suspending it and capped spending for 10 years instead of two.
After two years, it moves to spending targets not bound by law.
Republicans, however, claimed victory in terms of the deal that claw back $28 billion in unspent Covid relief and cut the $80 billion in additional funding Democrats gave last Congress from the IRS. The bill cuts $1.4 billion in IRS funding and shifts $20 billion of the $80 billion to non-defense discretionary funding.
The bill does not cancel Biden’s student loan relief plan, but does stipulate that student loan repayments, which have been on pause since the pandemic began, must resume on August 29.
Freedom Caucus members including Ralph Norman, SC, left, Andy Biggs, Arizona, center and Lauren Boebert, Colorado, right, spoke out against the bill
The bill also increases the age at which SNAP and TANF recipients are required to work from 50 to 55, with exclusions for veterans, homeless people and foster children. The White House says these exemptions will leave roughly the same number of people eligible for nutritional assistance.
The bill also includes permitting reforms – revising the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to streamline permitting timelines for renewable and non-renewable energy projects.
The bill also includes an outright victory for Sen. Joe Manchin, approving the Mountain Valley pipeline in West Virginia.
“This bill is not good for ANY American. It only helps special interests…oh yeah, and the Joe Manchin bill,’ Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, Texas, said in opposing the bill.
Republicans were unable to push through the deeper spending cuts and tougher work requirements they had wanted. They also wanted to repeal hundreds of billions in tax incentives for renewable energy projects that Biden pushed through the Cut Inflation Act in the last Congress.
Democrats, meanwhile, wanted to raise taxes on businesses and high earners and allow Medicare to negotiate prices for more drugs, but those provisions were also left out of the bill.
