Lawmakers returning to Washington, D.C., today will face intense pressure from leaders on Capitol Hill and the White House to support the debt-ceiling bill and overcome opposition on both the left and right, the Wall Street Journal reported. For now, President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy appear on track to gain enough bipartisan support to suspend the debt limit, but the measure could still run into procedural obstacles, complicating the race to avoid an unprecedented default. The legislation’s first test comes today, when it goes before the House Rules Committee, which acts as gatekeeper for legislation coming onto the House floor. Already, two conservative Republicans on the committee, Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Ralph Norman of South Carolina, have said they oppose the deal. The committee is made up of nine Republicans and four Democrats. The debt-ceiling agreement would suspend the borrowing limit for two years and curb government spending during that time. It would cut spending on domestic priorities favored by Democrats while boosting military spending by about 3%. It also would extend limits on food assistance to some beneficiaries to prod them to find jobs and would speed up environmental reviews for energy projects.
