An overwhelming bipartisan coalition pushed through the compromise struck by Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden, even as lawmakers from both parties expressed reservations about the measure. The final vote count was 314-117, with 219 Democrats and 95 Republicans voting in favor of the bill.
The House passed the debt ceiling bill Wednesday night just days ahead of the June 5 deadline to avoid a catastrophic U.S. default. The Senate is expected to take up the bill soon and pass it before the deadline.
President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to a deal to raise the debt ceiling. The Post recorded how Republicans and Democrats from Texas voted on the bill to suspend the debt ceiling. There are 38 Texans in the U.S. House: 25 Republicans and 13 Democrats. Both parties were split on the bill, with some Republicans voting in favor of the compromise and some Democrats voting against it.
The United States House of Representatives has voted to advance a bipartisan bill to raise the debt ceiling, which limits the amount of money the federal government can borrow. The measure would allow the government to continue paying its bills and avoid a default on its debt.
The debt ceiling compromise bill sailed to passage in the House on Wednesday evening. The House voted 314-117 after just over an hour of debate. The bill would suspend the debt ceiling through January 1, 2025, allowing the government to continue borrowing money to pay its bills.
Lawmakers are working against the clock to avert an unprecedented debt default. The Treasury Department has said the U.S. could run out of money to pay its bills as soon as October if Congress does not act to raise the debt ceiling.
The House adopted a rule for the debt ceiling bill after Democrats flooded in to keep the measure on track at the last minute. The rule allowed the bill to move forward without amendments, ensuring a quick vote on the final bill.
The debt ceiling has been a source of political tension in recent years, with Republicans and Democrats often clashing over the issue. The current limit is set at $28.4 trillion, and the Treasury Department has been using accounting maneuvers to avoid hitting the limit.
The bill to suspend the debt ceiling through 2024 is seen as a temporary solution to the issue, with lawmakers expected to revisit the issue in the coming years. Some lawmakers have called for a more permanent solution to the debt ceiling issue, arguing that the uncertainty surrounding the limit could harm the economy.
The passage of the debt ceiling bill is seen as a victory for President Biden, who has been pushing for a compromise on the issue. The president has said that defaulting on the nation's debt would be "catastrophic" for the economy and could harm millions of Americans.
The bill is also a victory for Speaker McCarthy, who worked with President Biden to craft the compromise. McCarthy has been under pressure from some members of his party to take a hardline stance on the debt ceiling issue, but ultimately decided to work with Democrats to avoid a potential default.
Overall, the passage of the debt ceiling bill is seen as a positive development for the US economy and for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The bill is expected to pass in the Senate, where it will face a more difficult path to approval. If the bill is signed into law, it will provide a temporary solution to the debt ceiling issue and allow the government to continue borrowing money to pay its bills.
