Mitch McConnell
According to CNN reporter Manu Raju, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is in private talks with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to waive the filibuster to raise the debt ceiling.
The process would be complicated but McConnell is entertaining the idea to give Joe Biden and the Democrats another win.
The House would have to approve a rule for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the annual budget for the Pentagon – and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is NOT on board.
“Final decision has not been made on if they go this route” Mr. Raju said.
Here’s how it would go down:
– The House would approve a rule for NDAA debate that would effectively pass a new bill that says the debt ceiling could be raised just one-time under a 51 vote threshold in the Senate
– This new Senate process bill would then be merged with NDAA, which would have to pass Senate.
– Once the NDAA is signed into law, then the House and Senate would advance the expedited debt ceiling increase with a 51-vote threshold for passage in the Senate
– This has been negotiated by McConnell and Schumer, per source familiar.
Not only is GOP Leader McCarthy pushing back, several Republicans in the Senate also oppose waiving the filibuster.
House Democrats are considering three options to raise the debt ceiling according to Manu Raju:
1) Pass NDAA. Then pass a separate bill to create one-time, fast-track process to allow debt ceiling to be increased by 51 votes in Senate
2) Tie both debt limit process bill and NDAA together
3) They pass separately, but are tied together by rule and sent to Senate
The Democrats have already used reconciliation to pass trillions in spending without Republican votes and instead of pushing back, McConnell works with Schumer to give Biden another win.
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