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WASHINGTON – Rep. Tom Emmer, R-6y District, his work stalled when House Republicans this week passed a bill that would raise the US debt limit and cut federal spending.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hopes the budget cut plan will pass the House next week, but he can only afford to lose four or fewer GOP lawmakers in the closely divided chamber, which means Eimer, the House majority whip, really needs a use his powers. of persuasion to maintain the loyalty of his fellow Republicans. A few GOP lawmakers say they are hesitant about McCarthy’s plan.
It would increase the debt limit by $1.5 trillion, enough to stave off default until the spring of next year, just as the 2024 election heats up. It would also cut funding to a number of social programs and clean energy initiatives.
The US is on a path to defaulting on payment obligations as soon as June – an event that Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned would lead to an economic and financial meltdown.
McCarthy’s budget would restore discretionary spending to 2022 levels — cut $130 billion — cancel unspent COVID-19 funds, impose stricter work requirements on food stamps and Medicaid recipients, ease regulations on energy projects — including federal mining permits — and end some tax breaks For clean energy projects, including electric vehicles.
Emmer tweeted, “House Republicans have a plan to reduce Washington spending, save taxpayers money, and grow the economy. Time for Joe Biden and the Democrats to put politics aside…”
The GOP plan would also end an $80 billion funding push to the Internal Revenue Service designed to increase audits of the wealthy, update outdated computer systems and provide better support for taxpayers. It would also hinder President Biden’s student debt relief plan.
The plan, described by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies as a “ransom memo,” is not expected to win any House Democratic support and suffers rejection in the Democratic-controlled Senate. He has been called dead on arrival by the White House, which wants a “clean” bill that would raise the debt limit without strings attached.
“House Republicans are holding the American economy hostage in order to exploit the programs that Americans rely on every day to make ends meet,” said White House press secretary Karen Jean-Pierre.
Still, McCarthy wants the bill passed in the House of Representatives in hopes of reaching an agreement with the White House.
Meanwhile, the bipartisan problem-solving group, which includes deputies to Commodore Phillips, D-3Research and development District, and Angie Craig, D-2Abbreviation II The District issued a proposal to avoid a default on US debt if the White House and congressional leadership fail to reach an agreement.
The centrist group has proposed suspending the debt ceiling until December 31, 2023 and, if certain steps are followed, increasing the debt limit until February 28, 2025 — after the 2024 election.
Steps to be taken to increase the debt limit include creating a spending bill with unspecified “deficit stabilization controls” to fund the federal government next year, and creating an independent commission to recommend what package of spending reforms it could get. Vote up or down in Congress.
“It makes sense and makes sense,” Phillips said of the “problem-solving” plan. “By definition it is bipartisan.”
The Problem Solving Conference, committed to finding common ground on key issues facing the nation, was founded in 2017 and includes 31 Democrats and 32 Republicans.
As of now, the leaders of House Democrats and House Republicans prefer to stay put and have shown little interest in the compromise plan.
Like most Democrats, Phillips is critical of McCarthy’s proposal, saying he is “deeply troubled” by the proposed cuts to social service programs and the IRS because such an investment would reduce the deficit by auditing tax fraud, which would lead to new revenue.
“There are hundreds of good reasons we invested in the IRS,” Phillips said.
Meanwhile, Craig said she would prefer to raise the debt ceiling “without preconditions”.
“I urge the Republican leadership to engage in a good faith dialogue with Democrats about where we can cut spending outside of the debt ceiling process,” Craig said.
The Trump campaign is raising a little cash in Minnesota
Donald Trump’s presidential campaign took in $14.4 million in the first three months of 2023, but little of that money came from Minnesotans.
A review of FEC records shows the Trump campaign raised just $105,582 in Minnesota in the first quarter of the year. That’s not much more than his Republican rival, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has raised $97,200 from donors in the state.
While he didn’t raise a lot of money, Trump had more than 300 campaign contributors in Minnesota, many of whom gave less than $200. But the Trump campaign says fundraising has soared since the former president was impeached in late March.
In the weeks since, Trump’s campaign has raised another $15 million, his campaign says.
Craig joins the Republican Party in moving to kill the D.C. police reforms
Rep. Angie Craig, who was assaulted in the elevator of her D.C. apartment building earlier this year, was one of 14 House Democrats who voted with House Republicans to repeal police reform legislation in the city.
Police reforms in the District of Columbia focus on improving police accountability and transparency, and include officer discipline, use of force reforms, and improved access to body camera recordings.
With Craig’s support, the House of Representatives voted to overturn a similar proposal to reform police in D.C. earlier this year, and the Senate followed suit after President Biden surprised Democrats by saying he would sign the bill blocking the District of Columbia’s efforts.
This time, however, Biden said he would veto any attempt to overturn police reforms in the capital.
The administration’s policy statement on the decision says that while Biden does not support every provision of the D.C. police bill, “he will not support efforts by congressional Republicans to overturn common-sense police reforms such as: banning chokeholds; limiting the use of force and lethal force; improving access to body-worn camera recordings; and demand training of officers in de-escalation and the use of force.”
Every Minnesota Democrat besides Craig voted against the move in the House of Representatives this week to block the D.C. police bill. All Minnesota Republicans voted for her.
