Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn said Wednesday the GOP may be forced to consider a bill to lift the nation’s borrowing limit for a few months, because Democrats are refusing to back anything longer-term unless other bills are passed first, and the money is needed to provide critical hurricane disaster relief.
“The fact of the matter is, unless we raise the debt ceiling there is not going to be any money that can be appropriated for this emergency relief for Harvey, so we are going to have to do it,” Cornyn, R-Texas, said.
The Senate had planned to vote this week on an $8 billion Hurricane Harvey relief package that included a longer-term increase in the nation’s borrowing limit.
The demand from Democrats has muddled that plan. It’s not clear now how long of a debt ceiling increase will be included in the package.
Cornyn appeared to be referring to the idea of a short-term suspension of the debt ceiling, which would allow the government to continue borrowing without any limit. Congress used to approve borrowing up to a specific limit, but over the last few years has preferred to simply suspend the ceiling altogether for certain amounts of time.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Democratic leaders met with President Trump at the White House Wednesday to discuss a deal.
Cornyn said Republicans “are looking at other options,” and want a longer-term increase in the borrowing limit but Democrats are needed to pass it in the Senate.
“We would certainly like longer,” Cornyn said. “But their votes count.”
Democrats have the power to filibuster a debt ceiling bill, which requires 60 votes to advance. Republicans control just 52 votes.
Democrats early Wednesday announced they will withhold voting on a debt ceiling solution that lasts longer than three months.
The move ensures they would maintain negotiating leverage on their wish list items, including immigration reform and Obamacare funding. Democrats want Republicans to take up a standalone measure to protect young adults who came to the United States illegally as children, after President Trump announced he will phase out an Obama-era program protecting these so-called Dreamers.
“Given Republican difficulty in finding the votes for their plan, we believe this proposal offers a bipartisan path forward to ensure prompt delivery of Harvey aid as well as avoiding a default, while both sides work together to address government funding, Dreamers, and healthcare,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a joint statement.
Cornyn criticized the move.
“It’s clear they are using the short term proposal as a tool to force repetitive votes and to gain leverage going forward,” Cornyn said.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan called Democrats’ demand for a three-month bill “ridiculous,” and “unworkable.”
But Democrats point out the House GOP lacks the votes within their own party to pass a debt ceiling increase. Conservatives often vote against debt ceiling increases because they want significant spending reform attached.
Democrats also noted many GOP conservatives favor a short-term debt limit increase.
Conservatives, however, want the shortened time frame to allow for a long term increase in the borrowing limit to be accompanied by spending reform.
