Senate averts default, sends debt bill to Biden’s desk
Politics

Senate averts default, sends debt bill to Biden’s desk

Before the House vote, Speaker Kevin McCarthy and the White House had spent weeks negotiating the bill that raised the debt ceiling through 2024 and cut spending, which Republicans had demanded as a condition for increasing the nation’s borrowing limit. Senate leaders largely stayed out of the discussions, allowing McCarthy to take the lead for… […]

Lawyers for Jim Justice say his coal companies ‘chronically scarce’ on cash
Politics

Lawyers for Jim Justice say his coal companies ‘chronically scarce’ on cash

The legal storm is colliding with Justice’s campaign to unseat Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin in next year’s election, and offers a test for the popular governor whose fossil fuel wealth defined his political rise in coal country. The latest legal challenge came Wednesday when the Justice Department sued Justice’s business enterprise and his son, James… […]

8 takeaways from the debt ceiling vote
Politics

8 takeaways from the debt ceiling vote

Spending caps What the deal does: This fight was ostensibly about the national debt — and it produced a deal that locks in two years of caps on federal spending. For the fiscal year that kicks off in October, overall discretionary funding for non-defense programs would stay about the same as today’s total, while defense… […]

Senate leaders reach agreement to quickly vote on debt deal
Politics

Senate leaders reach agreement to quickly vote on debt deal

The spending bills portion of the statement reads that the two leaders “share the concern of many of our colleagues about the potential impact of sequestration and we will work in a bipartisan, collaborative way to avoid this outcome” of an automatic spending cut if Congress passes a stopgap spending bill, according to a copy… […]

Just don’t boast: How Biden world sought to ace the debt ceiling standoff
Politics

Just don’t boast: How Biden world sought to ace the debt ceiling standoff

With the debt ceiling bill having passed the House on Wednesday, and soon to pass the Senate, the president’s team is aiming to use the negotiations around it to its political advantage, according to more than a half dozen people familiar with the plan but not authorized to discuss internal strategy. Biden’s advisers are betting… […]

How soon could the debt deal pass Congress?
Politics

How soon could the debt deal pass Congress?

The House Rules Committee, often referred to as “the speaker’s committee” because it is generally packed with leadership allies, will meet at 3 p.m. Tuesday to set the stage for floor consideration of the debt limit measure. But unlike past Rules Committees, McCarthy’s is populated by arch-conservatives who may yet throw up road blocks to… […]

House passes bipartisan debt deal, sending it to Senate
Politics

House passes bipartisan debt deal, sending it to Senate

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer can start setting up votes on the debt bill as soon as Thursday, with the first vote on Saturday absent agreement from all 100 senators. Several senators want votes on amendments as a condition to speed up the process, and Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell hope to finish… […]

Democrats hope the Senate could finally have more than one Black woman
Politics

Democrats hope the Senate could finally have more than one Black woman

But the paths for the Black women running outside of Delaware are less clear. Standing in their way are crowded primary fields full of candidates with massive personal wealth or an army of grassroots liberal donors. Democrats who have waited decades for more racial and gender equity in the Senate are desperate for the party… […]

McCarthy and Biden reach agreement in principle on debt limit
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McCarthy and Biden reach agreement in principle on debt limit

While conservative Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) vocally criticized the agreement — saying he was “extremely disappointed” that the deal didn’t include “any meaningful cuts” — other Freedom Caucus members praised the deal, including Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Warren Davidson (R-Ohio). Though both said they wanted to see the text, Jordan praised McCarthy for a… […]

McCarthy overcomes Rules rebellion over debt deal
Politics

McCarthy overcomes Rules rebellion over debt deal

Massie was a pivotal vote in favor of the rule. If he had joined Reps. Chip Roy (R-Texas) and Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) in voting against the rule, the conservative trio could have tanked it. “When people want to express their ideology, the floor of the House on the actual final passage of the bill is… […]