McCarthy Faces Obstacles for Debt Limit Vote

Punchbowl News: “There are a number of reasons why conservatives are upset with the package. They think the work requirements Republican leaders want to impose on federal social programs like SNAP are too weak. Some of these GOP lawmakers simply don’t want to back a debt-limit increase…”

“It’s safe to say McCarthy needs to eliminate all of this discontent as quickly as possible. The leadership’s posture — so far — is that they can just barrel ahead and muscle the bill through the House unchanged, despite the criticism.”

“So what happens if McCarthy fails? It goes without saying that the worst possible outcome for McCarthy is House Republicans failing to pass the proposal. It would completely sap him of any leverage with the White House and Senate Democrats. If McCarthy can’t get this loaded up GOP bill through the chamber, what can he get through?”

Playbook: “McCarthy, who can lose no more than four votes, has concluded that negotiating further changes will only invite an endless game of whack-a-mole… As this little drama plays out, we have to note the irony that McCarthy is effectively borrowing a page from Biden’s playbook: Just as Democrats have maintained a no-negotiations position on adopting a clean debt limit increase, McCarthy is insisting that Republicans swallow his counter-proposal whole.”