Negotiations for a possible debt ceiling deal between Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been strained and increasingly frustrating as the two sides remain at an impasse.
Though Democrats had consistently maintained that they would not consider a deal such as this until late last year, they are now having to compromise with Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and the GOP. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia says that he wishes Democrats had kicked off the talks early by raising the debt ceiling before the GOP won back the House in January.
The Politico reports that Republican leadership has put “pause” on debt limit talks with the Biden Administration.
Congressional Democrats have grown increasingly angry over their forced to negotiate with McCarthy, with some even suggesting the “potentially dubious” approach of raising the debt limit under the 14th Amendment. Representative Jamaal Bowman of New York, an outspoken progressive, has called for President Biden to pull out of the talks.
Though Democrats have considered raising the debt limit without bipartisan support, Representative Lou Correa of California, a moderate Democrat, has noted that it was the losing the House that spurred negotiations in the first place.
Progressives Democrats have gone a step further, suggesting their own plan to raise the debt limit before the GOP took the House, led by chair of the Progressives Caucus Pramila Jayapal of Washington. However, one person familiar with the discussions has expressed that it would be too complex to successfully pull off without Manchin’s support, and that a “bipartisan” deal was still needed.
At present, a debt ceiling deal still continues to elude Congressional Democrats who remain deeply frustrated by the situation. It appears that the two sides may need to be willing to let go of hard–held political principles and come to the table with an amenable compromise if they are to resolve this diplomatic standstill.