How Dems ended up where they swore they wouldn’t be: Negotiating on the debt limitPolitico, May 20, 2023
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As Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Joe Biden labor to overcome huge ideological disputes over spending and work requirements in order to strike a budget deal that might unlock a debt-limit increase, Democrats are bemoaning what might have been. Many progressives are at a loss over how the party ended up here, having slowly reversed a stance that they wouldn’t haggle with the GOP over the debt limit, after deciding not to even attempt a party-line debt hike last year.
The frustration is evident in the rising number of congressional Democrats who are urging Biden to use the legally questionable path of the Constitution’s 14th Amendment to try a debt hike, rather than concede to McCarthy. The Democratic leeriness is acute enough to raise the possibility of a liberal revolt when a bill comes to the House and Senate floor.
“Why are we negotiating?” fumed Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), urging Biden to pull out of the talks entirely. “It’s just very frustrating that we have backed ourselves into this corner.”
Shortly after McCarthy took the speakership, Manchin began asking for him to negotiate directly with Biden. But congressional Democratic leaders and Biden resisted, saying they would accept only a standalone clean debt ceiling, particularly until Republicans passed a bill to establish a negotiating position. Then, to the surprise of many, McCarthy did just that.
And now the talks look just as the West Virginian wanted: Democrats’ “no negotiations” position on the debt ceiling vanished, replaced by a potential deal that could slash at least some federal spending, against their members’ wishes, and possibly give into further GOP demands.
After some signs of turbulence on Friday, both parties’ negotiating squads now plan to spend the weekend attempting to seal a deal that could install new budget caps, expand energy production, take back unused coronavirus aid and potentially enact new work requirements for government assistance.
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https://www.politico.com/news/2023/05/20/dems-debt-limit-biden-00097925
