House gives broad bipartisan approval to bill raising debt limit, sending it to Senate

Kevin McCarthy
(Image credit: Tom Williams / CQ-Roll Call Inc via Getty Images)

The House voted Wednesday night to suspend the debt limit until Jan. 2, 2025, and avoid a catastrophic default as soon as Monday, The 314-117 vote sends the bill to the Senate, where leaders plan to get it to President Biden's desk by the end of the week. Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) negotiated the legislation last weekend, then spend the past few days corralling votes from centrists in each party. In the end, 149 Republicans and 165 Democrats vote in favor of the legislation, while 71 Republicans and 46 Democrats vote no.

The legislation, along with suspending the debt limit until after the 2024 election, proposes measures to reduce the deficit by $1.5 trillion over 10 years, according to Congressional Budget Office projections. Hard-right Republicans claimed they wanted more spending cuts while Democrats criticized measure to approve a West Virginia natural gas pipeline and add food aid work requirements for people 50 to 54 — though new exemptions for veterans, homeless Americans, and people leaving foster care would actually make more people eligible for food stamps than under current policies, the CBO estimated.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.