Despite concerns that the House Republican plan to raise the debt ceiling won’t have enough support, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) voiced optimism about the passing of his plan.
In an interview with Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo, Representative Kevin McCarthy was asked if he has the votes to pass a bill that would suspend the debt limit until it is raised by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024, whichever comes first, in exchange for spending cuts and commitments meant to stimulate economic growth.
McCarthy claimed that he did have the necessary support to pass the bill.
He made the declaration on an appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
He said they have one of the weakest majorities in GOP history, with just five seats. He brushed off speculation that a few Republicans were against the bill, saying he could not imagine anyone in his conference wanting to go along with Biden’s reckless spending.
Despite McCarthy’s assurance that “everybody’s had input” over the months-long process of putting up the legislation, he did warn that some people would not end up with “100%” of what they wanted. He said that Biden had refused to negotiate with them in the roughly 80 days since the parties had last met in February to address the subject.
The White House and prominent Democrats in Congress have rejected the House Republicans’ proposal outright. They prefer a “clean” debt ceiling plan that doesn’t include any policy concessions or changes to the budget.
President Joe Biden delivered a dire warning during a speech on Wednesday, saying, “MAGA Republicans in Congress are threatening to default on the national debt… unless I agree to all these wacko notions they have.
Representative Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan), citing specifics from the 320-page plan, expressed doubt on “Fox News Sunday” that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has the support of the House’s 218 members to pass his proposal to increase the debt ceiling.
