A moderate bipartisan coalition prevailed in the House of Representatives with the proval of a law that prevents the country from falling into default next Monday.
In the heat of last-minute negotiations to avoid an unprecedented default in the United States, a saving alliance emerged that the moderates celebrated: at least for this time, the center beat the ends in a country that in recent years has become accustomed to violent political climates and extremely divisive.
After weeks of deadlock and unsuccessful overtures, a centrist bipartisan coalition won the House of Representatives with the passage Wednesday night of a bill to suspend the debt ceiling, or limit debt to prevent the country enters into default next Monday, the day Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had warned that the money would run out.
The initiative thus overcame a key obstacle because the lower house has counted since the beginning of the year with a slight opposition majority. The bill now goes to the Senate, in Democratic control, and it is estimated that it will be proved so that President Joe Biden can have it on his desk to sign it into law. before Monday.
“This is a bipartisan commitment. No one got everything they wanted. That is the responsibility of governing,” Biden said in a statement moments after the bill was proved in the lower house. “I want to thank Leader McCarthy and his team for negotiating in good faith and also Leader of the House Democrats (Hakeem) Jeffries.”
The initiative was repudiated by lawmakers from the far-right Republican and also by the most left wing of the Democratic party, who rejected the principled agreement that President Biden and the Republican majority leader in the lower house Kevin McCarthy had reached. Despite the revolt of the ultras, it was a bipartisan alliance of moderates that won to seal an agreement that relieved a country in suspense.
In the final vote, 149 Republicans and 165 Democrats supported the measure, while 71 Republicans and 46 Democrats opposed it.
Fireproof
It was the first significant test for the Biden-McCarthy era that resulted in a reassertion of the political center. The two leaders opted for a compromise deal, aiming to unite center-right and center-left lawmakers around the idea that a flawed deal was preferable to a historic default that could devastate the economy. “The only path was a bipartisan compromise that could win bipartisan support. This deal passed the testBiden said.
For weeks, the agreement was severely tugged at from the ends. The most ultra-conservative Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus warned McCarthy that he should ply radical spending cuts and that he should not back down from Democratic pressure because it would be an unforgivable betrayal. The more liberal Democrats implored President Biden to completely abandon the conversations on the debt ceiling, insisting that the Constitution allowed him to simply ignore Republican demands.
But ultimately the compromise was structured with the aim of attracting votes from moderates of both parties. It allowed Republicans, who refused to raise the debt ceiling and avoid an unconditional default, to say thatand managed to reduce part of federal spending, even as funding for military and veteran programs would continue to grow, while allowing Democrats to say that saved most national programs of severe cuts.
“This deal is good news for Americans and the US economy,” Biden said. “It protects the key priorities and achievements of the last two years, including the historic investments that have created good jobs at home. And it honors the commitment to safeguard America’s healthcare system and protect Social Security. It protects crucial programs that millions of working families, students, and veterans can count on,” she added.
One of the points that emerged from Wednesday night’s voting was that the political negotiation skills of Biden and McCarthy, often called into question by the extremes of their respective parties, still endure and may be a working trend for the months ahead. they come. The ultras saw the reality that their votes in the lower house may not be as relevant as they think.
McCarthy had started negotiations with the possibility of remaining as hostage to the hawks of his party – who had made his life miserable during his nomination – and despite the fact that 71 Republicans voted against the law, he saved his position always under threat.
Biden was at risk of becoming the first president in allowing a catastrophic default with global consequences, but he was able to avoid that scenario for at least two years and now he can navigate this issue smoothly in his re-election campaign.
The Biden-McCarthy era has begun, tucked in the center and with a political boost for both leaders.
washington correspondent
Source: Clarin
