US House Rules panel to meet Tuesday on debt ceiling bill

THE US House Rules Committee said it will meet on Tuesday (May 30) afternoon to discuss the debt ceiling bill, which needs to pass a narrowly divided Congress before Jun 5, when the US Treasury says it would run short of money to cover all its obligations.

Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Sunday signed off on an agreement to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and cap some federal spending in order to prevent a US debt default.

Biden said the deal was ready to move to Congress for a vote.

“The Committee on Rules will meet Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 3 pm ET,” the panel said in a statement on Monday.

The deal, if approved, will prevent the US government from defaulting on its debt and comes after weeks of heated negotiations between Biden and House Republicans.

It has drawn fire from both hardline Republicans and progressive Democrats, but Biden and McCarthy are banking on getting enough votes from both sides.

McCarthy on Sunday predicted he would have the support of a majority of his fellow Republicans, and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said he expected Democratic support.

The agreement would suspend the debt limit till Jan 1 of 2025, cap spending in the 2024 and 2025 budgets, claw back unused Covid funds, speed up the permitting process for some energy projects, and include extra work requirements for food aid programmes for poor Americans.

The 99-page bill would authorise more than US$886 billion for security spending in fiscal year 2024 and over US$703 billion in non-security spending for the same year, not including some adjustments.

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It would also authorise a 1 per cent increase for security spending in fiscal year 2025. REUTERS