- Senators struck a deal Tuesday to create a one-time law allowing Democrats to lift the nation’s debt ceiling
- The complex legislative maneuvering is expected to avert a catastrophic credit default without requiring votes from Republicans
- The House of Representatives approved a bill that includes the debt ceiling provision Tuesday night
- In a vote of 222, to 212, the House passed the bill that contained the provision, with help from one Republican, retiring Rep. Adam Kinzinger
The House of Representatives passed a bill Tuesday night that contains a provision that will allow the Senate to pass a debt ceiling hike with only Democratic votes.
In a vote of 222 to 212, the House passed a bill that delays Medicare sequestration cuts for three months, which had rules to increase the debt ceiling tucked inside.
Only one Republican, retiring GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger, voted alongside the Democratic majority.
Earlier Tuesday, Senate leaders struck a deal to create a one-time law allowing Democrats to lift the nation’s debt ceiling and avert a catastrophic credit default without requiring votes from Republicans.
The rule will allow lawmakers to avert the crisis with a simple 51-vote majority in the upper chamber before the estimated December 15 deadline.
Crucially, Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Republicans in the Senate, is backing the process.
‘I think this is in the best interest of the country, by avoiding default,’ he told reporters when questioned about the convoluted approach.
Still, Republicans on the House floor slammed the move.
Republican Rep. Kevin Brady, the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said Democrats held the Medicare bill ‘hostage,’ also releasing a statement calling the debt ceiling a ‘poison pill.’
‘You wrecked a bipartisan agreement for your debt ceiling crisis,’ Brady said.