As per your politics, debt ceiling plan is good or a ‘disaster

 

Democrats weigh in

As much as some Democrats dislike what is roughly a spending freeze on non-defence programmes next year and chafe at work requirements being extended to more food-stamp recipients, initial reaction has been circumspect as they await more details.

Representative Annie Kuster, a Democrat from New Hampshire and chair of a centre-left group known as the New Dems, which has roughly 100 members, said the group is “confident” that White House negotiators delivered a “viable, bipartisan solution to end this crisis”

Senator Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, said he believed it was the best deal that could be reached given the demands coming from House Republicans.

“To my colleagues who have serious misgivings about this deal, I say this is far better than defaulting,” Coons said.

The likeliest opposition will come from the more liberal members of the caucus. Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, has been voicing opposition to additional work requirements for some of those getting food and cash assistance. She called the debt ceiling agreement a “terrible policy” Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union programme.

But she said she is also waiting for legislative text to determine the level of exemptions to the work requirements that Biden was able to win for veterans, homeless people and people coming out of foster care.

“And so what do the numbers look like at the end of the day, I’m not sure,” said Jayapal, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “However, it is bad policy. I told the president that directly, when he called me last week on Wednesday, that this is saying to poor people and people who are in need that we don’t trust them.”

Asked if the Democrats at the White House and in the congressional leadership have to worry about whether the progressive caucus will support the bill, Jayapal said: “Yes, they have to worry.”

A provision that expedites the approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a natural gas pipeline in West Virginia and Virginia, also adds to the consternation many Democrats will have about the bill. They had succeeded in keeping it out of prior bills, but Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, and other members of the West Virginia delegation prevailed in getting it included in the debt limit bill. Environmental groups were harshly criticising its inclusion Sunday evening.

Business group backing

With the nation roughly a week away from the risk of a default that could roil the US and global economy, major business groups have been urging Washington to act quickly on a debt-ceiling increase.

The Business Roundtable, a group of more than 200 chief executive officers, called on Congress to pass the bill as soon as possible.

“In addition to raising the debt ceiling, this agreement takes steps towards putting the US on a more sustainable fiscal trajectory,” said the group’s CEO, Joshua Bolten. “This deal also makes a down payment on permitting reform, helping to clear the path for new energy infrastructure projects.”

The US Chamber of Commerce also urged a “yes” vote and noted that the vote will be included when the group rates or “scorecards” members of Congress based on how they vote on business priorities.

Economists have been clear that the economy would be roiled with even a short-term breach in the nation’s ability to fully pay its bills as interest rates would rise and financial markets swoon.

“The gravity of this moment cannot be overstated,” said Suzanne Clark, the US Chamber of Commerce president and CEO.

Watchdog groups approve

Some advocacy groups have long warned of the propensity of Congress to enact policy priorities without fully paying for them. Their concerns generally go unheeded. But some see the agreement as a step in the right direction.

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The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget noted that if the legislation passes, it would be the first major deficit-reducing budget agreement in almost a dozen years.

“The process was tense, risky and ugly, but in the end, we have a plan to enact savings and lift the debt ceiling, and that is what is needed,” said Maya MacGuineas, the group’s president.