Senate Republicans Block Bill To Raise Debt Ceiling

Senate Republicans refused to raise the debt ceiling on Monday, blocking a spending bill, which could have potentially prevented the government shutdown this week. The U.S. is now facing what could be a catastrophic shutdown and debt-limit breach.

The vote failed 48 to 50, with Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also voting “no.”

Schumer himself commented on the failure of the bill. “The Republican Party has now become the party of default, the party that says America doesn’t pay its debts,” he said. “This isn’t your typical Washington fracas, it’s one of the most reckless, one of the most irresponsible votes I have seen taken place in the Senate.”

President Joe Biden is now faced with a serious roadblock to achieving his proposed domestic agenda, which includes a $3.5 trillion social safety net bill and a $1 trillion infrastructure package.

On Monday, Biden addressed these challenges. “It may not be by the end of the week — I hope it’s by the end of the week,” in reference to fulfilling his domestic policy promises.

Biden added: “We do that, the country’s going to be in great shape,” referring to the Democratic budget bill waiting to pass through Congress.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) repeatedly challenged the president’s agenda items. “We will not provide Republican votes for raising the debt limit,” he said. “Bipartisanship is not a light switch — a light switch that Democrats get to flip on when they need to borrow money and switch off when they want to spend money. We’ll see if Washington Democrats actually want to govern.”

Article by Elizabeth Letsou