Conservative hard-liners are not the only House Republicans upset with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s deal with President Biden to raise the debt limit until after the 2024 election.
Rep. Nancy Mace, a moderate Republican from South Carolina, added her voice to the chorus of naysayers on Monday.
“Republicans got outsmarted by a President who can’t find his pants,” said Ms. Mace. “I’m voting no on the debt ceiling debacle because playing the D.C. game isn’t worth selling out our kids and grandkids.”
The debt limit deal would allow the U.S. government to keep borrowing above the $31.4 trillion debt limit until January 1, 2025, which was a win for Mr. Biden who didn’t want to have another debt limit showdown before the 2024 presidential election.
In wins on the GOP side, the deal would claw back $40 billion in unspent coronavirus relief and slash IRS funding. Mr. McCarthy secured an immediate $1.4 billion cut to IRS funding and then the agreement to cut another $20 billion over the next two years.
In other wins for Mr. McCarthy, domestic spending would be flat for the upcoming fiscal year. Defense spending is set to grow by more than $26 billion.
After this year, federal spending growth would be capped at 1% through 2025, which is more spending growth than Republicans wanted but Mr. Biden wanted no caps.
House Republicans initially sought a $130 billion cut to non-defense spending this year and a decade’s worth of spending caps. They also wanted to cancel Mr. Biden’s student loan forgiveness program and rescind more than $200 billion in green energy tax credits that Democrats passed last year.
Refusing to meet those demands could be viewed as a win for Mr. Biden.
“The agreement protects my and congressional Democrats’ key priorities and legislative accomplishments,” Mr. Biden said.
The House Freedom Caucus says that is the exact problem.
“Our base didn’t volunteer, door knock and fight so hard to get us the majority for this kind of compromise deal with Joe Biden,” said Rep. Lauren Boebert, Colorado Republican. “Our voters deserve better than this.”
Ms. Mace, who has publicly criticized the GOP’s hard-right flank in recent months, echoed the sentiment.
“63% of Americans want Congress to cut spending as part of a debt ceiling deal,” she said. “This bill doesn’t do that.”
Given the narrow majority in the House, Mr. McCarthy can lose only four Republican votes before having to rely on Democratic support, though Mr. Biden is expected to deliver Democratic votes for the deal.
House Republicans say the growth of federal spending is actually capped for six years, but the deal’s spending targets are not enforceable after 2025.
Mr. McCarthy and Mr. Biden have further agreed to streamline the federal permitting process for new energy projects. The deal includes a pay-as-you-go provision requiring Mr. Biden to offset any rules or regulations that increase federal spending.
The legislation specifies, however, that the White House’s Office of Management and Budget can waive the new rule if it’s necessary for efficiency or the timely “delivery of essential services.” The bill further states that OMB’s waiver cannot be challenged by the courts.
“The OMB director has sole waiver authority to spend if it’s ’necessary for program delivery.’ So that one line wipes out PAYGO,” Ms. Mace said. “These words on paper are totally meaningless if you read the fine print.”
The agreement would also expand work requirements for recipients of food stamps and direct cash payments. Able-bodied, childless recipients of each program 54 and younger would be required to work at least 20 hours per week to keep their benefits. The work requirements would expire in 2030.
Under the deal, childless food stamp recipients would be subject to new restrictions for how long they can collect the benefits. The deal does expand access to food stamps for veterans and the homeless.
• Haris Alic can be reached at halic@washingtontimes.com.
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