Senate Democrats fret over debt ceiling deal, but signal grudging support
by Al Weaver - 05/31/23 6:00 AM ET
Senate Democrats are vocally unenthused with the debt ceiling deal struck by the White House and House Republicans last week — but they largely indicated they are still willing to support it in order to avert a catastrophic default on the nation’s debt officials warn would occur on Monday.
Democrats returned to Capitol Hill trying to wrap their heads around the compromise package and many were quick to lay out their concerns with the 99-page bill, headlined by cuts to discretionary spending and the proposed completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP).
However, they, by and large, are keeping their powder dry and propping the door open to support the bill in the end. The measure is expected to get enough Democratic votes in the upper chamber to pass.
“I’m going to read it very carefully before voting. I’m far from ecstatic about some of its provisions, but overall that’s the nature of compromise and the overriding goal is to avoid default with the least possible cause,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) told The Hill.
Despite concessions, multiple Senate Democrats argued the deal between President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) could have been worse and the president managed to keep out some of more contentious sections of the Republican debt limit bill that passed the House in late April.
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4027233-senate-democrats-fret-over-debt-ceiling-deal-but-signal-grudging-support/
