The full House of Representatives will vote on Wednesday on the bill that aims to avert a default. After a tense vote, with several Republican lawmakers rejecting it outright, Speaker Kevin McCarthy got his pact with Joe Biden through the House Rules Committee by a vote of 7 to 6.
Republican Congressmen Ralph Norman and Chip Roy added their votes of rejection to those of the four representatives of the Democratic minority. A result that augurs a tough battle in the plenary, despite the efforts of the leaders of both parties and the president himself to convince his colleagues of the need to avoid defaulting on the debt.
Thomas Massie, key vote
The key to bringing the rule to the floor was the vote of Republican Thomas Massie. Despite his initial opposition to the agreement, the conservative legislator voted "yes" so that the congressmen as a whole could decide: "There are things to dislike and things to like about this bill. When people want to express their ideology, the floor of the House on the actual final passage of the bill is the place to do that."
I respect opposition to the Fiscal Responsibility Act, but I am voting yes.
I’ve been in Congress for a decade and this is the first real bill that cuts spending.
It also includes an automatic 1% cut to spending on January 1 if Congress doesn’t pass the 12 appropriations bills.
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) May 31, 2023
"A bad deal" that "no Republican should vote for"
In an appearance true to his blunt style, Roy stressed that "no Republican should vote for this deal." According to the Texan representative, "it's a bad deal. Nobody sent us here to borrow another 4 trillion to get absolutely nothing in return."
The House had the opportunity to secure lasting fiscal change in D.C. at a time when the Biden administration wants to spend infinitely more American tax dollars. Unfortunately, the debt limit deal fails to do so. It's time to go back to the negotiating table.@RepChipRoy pic.twitter.com/vpJbEHadFA
— Heritage Foundation (@Heritage) May 30, 2023
Norman: majority prefers default to pact
Also emphatic in his rejection was Norman, who shared a Rasmussen poll on his twitter account indicating that a majority of Americans, and 74% of Republican voters prefer default to the McCarthy-Biden deal. He also shared tweets of rejections from other conservative representatives.
Cutting. Spending. Matters. to most Americans!! #NoDeal https://t.co/WlEdIF99w9
— Rep. Ralph Norman (@RepRalphNorman) May 30, 2023
The lesser evil, according to Cole
In a statement, the committee's chairman, Republican Tom Cole, stressed that there is always dissatisfaction in a deal, but that it is the best alternative to a default "that would devastate the entire U.S. economy."
Despite the long delays caused by President Biden and Senate Democrats, we have finally reached an agreement. Today’s bill is a product of compromise and reflects the realities of a divided government. We shouldn’t allow that to overshadow what this bill accomplishes. As I’ve often said, in a true negotiation, you always get less than you want and give up more than you’d like. But with passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, we will responsibly lift the debt ceiling and avoid a default that would devastate the American economy.
