A compromise debt ceiling bill has passed both houses of Congress, and President Joe Biden is poised to sign the piece of legislation.
Biden is scheduled to address the nation late Friday. During this time, he is expected to give a rundown of how the debt deal includes key victories for his administration’s agenda, which some Republicans will consider an accounting of just how much House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) failed in advocating for their policy priorities.
“Democrats play for keeps; we play for crumbs,” lamented Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) on Dan Bongino’s radio show, suggesting that the debt ceiling bill handed Biden a big win.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Roy and other Republican House members had attempted to dissuade McCarthy from taking the deal, going as far as to suggest that some members should rethink the existing majority’s leadership arrangement.
In a statement that could preview what the president plans to speak about, Biden used the stronger-than-expected jobs report to tout how the budget bill would further his administration’s agenda.
“I look forward to signing the bipartisan budget agreement into law. The agreement protects our historic and hard-earned economic recovery, and all the progress that American workers have made in the last two years. And it protects key priorities and accomplishments from the last two years,” Biden claimed in the statement.
The Senate passed the bill to raise the debt ceiling on Thursday night in a 63-36 vote. Texas’ two Republican senators split their votes.
In a press release explaining his vote, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) acknowledged that the legislation contained some things he supports, like clawing back unspent COVID-19 funds, but that he ultimately voted against it because it “continues the same reckless spending that has produced record inflation, slowed our economic recovery, and which has caused immense harm to families in Texas and across America.”
For his part, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) joined a minority of fellow Republican senators (17) and voted for the debt ceiling bill.
