Lifting the Debt Ceiling Is Never Easy

Playbook: “Since Republicans took the House majority in 2010, the debt ceiling has been lifted eight times. It’s a bit easier in the Senate than the House, so let’s focus on the House. Most of the time, the majority of House Republicans don’t vote to lift the cap. For example, in 2015, 167 House Republicans voted no, and just 79 voted yes. In 2014, 28 voted yes and 199 voted no. House Republicans twice were able to muster big numbers: in 2012, 199 Republicans voted yes and 33 voted no when Congress promised to withhold pay from lawmakers should they not pass a budget. In 2011, 174 House Republicans voted yes and 66 voted no on the Budget Control Act, a piece of legislation that set up steep budget cuts — the sequester — which President Trump has said he would like to reverse.”

“This is a defining issue for Republicans. In recent years, Republicans have eased up on their demands on the debt limit because Barack Obama took a somewhat firm stance that he was not going to negotiate. But when Republicans came into the majority in 2010, John Boehner said Republicans should cut a dollar of spending for each dollar of a debt ceiling hike. Since then, there have been pitched battles over lifting the cap.”

“Right now, Republicans are in a really, really bad spot. They have no plan, nothing on the horizon and very little time to get this done. They have president who is frustrated with Congress and distancing himself from GOP leaders.”