Kevin McCarthy is not effectively leading Republicans into the enactment of a partly necessary agenda that many members of the party themselves support, and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) was among those taking notice.
“How embarrassing for Kevin McCarthy — he struck a deal with President Biden and couldn’t even deliver the votes on his own side to ensure we could vote later tonight to pay America’s bills,” Swalwell remarked on Wednesday. “Dem votes had to do it for him. He may have title of Speaker but he doesn’t have the job.”
The deal is an arrangement to raise what’s known as the debt ceiling so the federal government can legally accommodate past expenses to which it was already obliged. The country has come very close to running out of space to continue such accommodation under the prior limit, which put a sharp time crunch on the legislative efforts to formulate a deal. (Expenses potentially affected even include Social Security payments and military salaries.)
After Republicans refused to assent to raising the debt limit without accompanying priorities attached, McCarthy and Biden finally struck a deal that was getting presented to Congress for urgent votes this week — and in a vote setting up further consideration of the deal in the House, not enough Republicans agreed to move forward to even advance the measure, though they’re the chamber’s majority. Democratic votes kept things moving.
Some Democrats are not thrilled with the deal that was struck in light of the concessions that were made, including slight expansions of work requirements for federal benefit programs. The reason the circumstances around the vote were these at all is because of McCarthy’s commitment to getting some kind of concession, and he couldn’t even deliver the votes to follow through. What a colossal leadership flop.
How embarrassing for Kevin McCarthy — he struck a deal with President Biden and couldn’t even deliver the votes on his own side to ensure we could vote later tonight to pay America’s bills. Dem votes had to do it for him. He may have title of Speaker but he doesn’t have the job.
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) May 31, 2023
