Global Courant 2023-05-30 18:29:03
House Republican leaders are touting the deal between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden as a conservative victory, even though many of the most conservative Republicans in the House say they will vote against it.
“(The White House) wanted new tax policies, they wanted new tax revenues, they wanted tax increases,” House Financial Services chairman Patrick McHenry, RN.C., said while speaking to reporters Monday night. “They wanted more price fixing, like more pricing, in the private sector for a variety of products, especially pharmaceuticals. Their main policy issues that they forced into the conversation are not in this bill.”
“They’re getting an 18-month debt ceiling increase. And in return we’re cutting spending, we’re having big changes in the licensing process,” added McHenry, who described the deal as a “conservative bill that’s on top of an 18-month raising the debt ceiling.”
McHenry negotiated the deal with Rep. Garret Graves, R-La., who also stood behind the final product and shrugged off complaints from the conservative House Freedom Caucus.
DEBT CEILING AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE BETWEEN DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS
President Biden and Chairman Kevin McCarthy reached an agreement on the debt limit late Saturday night. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“I will just say that I think it’s pretty clear, based on their public statements and where we are now, the clear winners in this overall negotiation,” he said.
At the same time, several Republicans over the weekend said they cannot support the deal. Republicans control that committee by a 9-4 majority, but two GOP members — Reps. Chip Roy, R-Texas, and Ralph Norman, RS.C. – have already spent the weekend publicly smashing the bill and could vote against it.
“This ‘deal’ is madness. A $4T debt ceiling increase with no cuts is not what we agreed upon. We are not going to vote to bankrupt our country. The American people deserve better,” Norman said in a post on Saturday night.
REPUBLICANS ENSURE MASSIVE APPROVAL OF GAS PIPE IN DEBT CEILING AGREEMENT
US Rep. Garret Graves told reporters in a Monday night press call that House Republicans were the “clear victors” of the talks.
Roy, who has been a key conference negotiator for the Freedom Caucus, claimed that McCarthy made an “explicit” promise during the speaker’s vote this year that Republican support for a bill must be unanimous in the Rules Committee before it goes on the vote. comes. House floor.
He also wrote of the debt limit law: “It’s not a good deal. Some $4 trillion in debt for – at best – a two-year spending freeze and no serious substantive policy reform.”
House leaders declined to comment directly on the public defections of their and other conservatives during Monday night’s conversation.
“I’ll say briefly that we control the Rules Committee, and we’d like to see our rules come to the table with a majority of the Republican vote. And I’ll leave it at that,” Graves said when asked about Roy’s claim about his agreement with McCarthy.
BIDEN, MCCARTHY REACH DEBT CEILING AGREEMENT TO AVOID DEFAULT: HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE
The final agreement suspends the no-cap debt limit until January 1, 2025, while also reducing non-defense spending to near fiscal 2022 levels, limiting growth to 1% for the next two years and non-mandatory limits for the next four years. It is also recovering some money directed at the Internal Revenue Service and some unused funds for the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is leading the conservative opposition to the deal. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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“We have been effective and even outperformed in a number of areas in terms of limiting spending, saving money directly for taxpayers today, and producing policies that will drive economic growth and improve the workforce,” McCarthy said. ally Rep. French Hill, R-Ark.
“You know, we all wish it were perfect,” he said. “We all wish it had every element that every Republican wanted. But I think individually they’re going to start having those conversations with our members, really limiting those who are still dissatisfied.”
Elizabeth Elkind is a political reporter for Fox News Digital.
