House Republicans sell deal with Biden to restore ‘fiscal health’ amid right-wing backlash

House Republicans are working overtime to stifle support in Congress for the debt-straightening deal between Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden as conservatives openly denounce the bipartisan deal.

House Republicans, including committee chairs and other lawmakers directly involved in negotiations over the past few weeks, said Monday they had secured significant spending concessions from Biden despite his limited control over Washington. argued and claimed victory to reporters.

“House Republicans will restore fiscal health and hold Washington to account,” said Rep. “This is a historic victory for the Republican Party, consisting of historic spending cuts that will curb government excesses, limit inflationary spending, and lift millions of Americans out of poverty. ”

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House Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry, a North Carolina Republican and a key negotiator, said House Republicans would bring Biden to the table and “what Republican-led Washington will bring to restore fiscal health.” He claimed that he had submitted a bill that would be “a large down payment that can be made by a person.” ”

The deal, which would waive the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling until January 2025, would avoid a national default if passed within days of the planned June 5 deadline. will be

The agreement includes a freeze on domestic spending at current levels for the next fiscal year beginning October 1. Increase defense spending by more than $26 billion, in line with Biden’s previous demands. Recover billions of dollars in unused pandemic relief money. And it cut the IRS’s funding by about $20 billion over a decade.

Non-defense discretionary spending is limited to 1% annual increases for six years, but is enforceable only for the first two years.
Republicans have also secured a pay-as-you-go mechanism known as Paygo, which would require the Biden administration to offset the cost of the new policy with cuts or additional revenue.

The bill, which has irritated Democrats, also sets a deadline for environmental reviews to expedite new energy projects and imposes stricter working requirements for food stamps.

Conservatives, especially members of the House Liberal Caucus, are outraged, despite the concessions insisted on by Republican leaders.

Republican lawmakers such as North Carolina Rep. “Voters deserve to be better,” Rep. Ken Buck said, “Voters deserve to be better.” Colorado called it “totally unacceptable,” while Rep. Bob Goode of Virginia said, “No one who calls himself a conservative can justify a ‘yes vote.'”

Roy, one of several Republican opposition candidates serving on the Rules Committee, said Tuesday as the agreement is presented to the committee for a crucial procedural vote to advance the bill to the entire House. , intends to block this agreement.

Rep. John Rutherford, a Florida Republican and Appropriations Committee member, urged Republicans to “resist the urge to always play Hooray Mary” without the control of the Senate and the White House.

“We don’t control all the levers of power,” Rutherford told reporters. “You can’t throw a Hail Mary pass on every play. Some people in the conference may want to.”

Meanwhile, the top Democrats and the White House are also working hard to lock in members of Congress at the Progressive caucuses and block liberal defectors.

Mr Biden said on Monday that he has intentionally refrained from more aggressively pitching the deal or claiming victory as part of his political strategy.

“One of the things I’ve heard some of you say is, ‘Why doesn’t Biden say how good a deal it is,'” he told reporters at the White House. “Do you think that will help me pass? No, that’s why you guys are bad negotiators.”