09/16/2021

Senate GOP Signals Support for a Continuing Resolution

However, they do not want to increase the debt limit

This week, top Republican senators said they would vote for a short-term government funding patch coupled with billions of dollars in disaster aid; however, they won't if the bill is tied to raising or suspending the debt limit.

Republican lawmakers have refused to support an increase to the debt limit, claiming what they have characterized as reckless spending by Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took to the Senate floor Tuesday to point out that Democrats have passed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and are seeking to pass a $3.5 trillion social spending package without any Republican votes but want GOP votes to raise the debt ceiling.

“Democrats are making different choices,” McConnell said. “They want to make policy all by themselves. So, they can come up with the financing on their own as well. The Democratic leaders have every tool and procedure they need to handle the debt limit on a partisan basis, just like they are choosing to handle everything else.”

The House returns to session Monday, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and other top Democrats are expected to add a provision to the stopgap continuing resolution (CR) extending the debt limit until December 2022. The CR will likely fund the federal government through Dec. 3 or Dec. 10; billions of dollars in disaster aid will be part of the package as well.

Top Democrats are trying to put Republicans in the uncomfortable position of voting essentially to shut down the government and deny aid to disaster-stricken communities because of a hardened stance on the debt limit.

“Do you really want to vote for shutting down the government, not giving aid to people who are the third of Americans who’ve had weather affect [them] and mess with the full faith and credit of the United States all in one vote?” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). “I hope not.”

This article was provided to OSAP by ASAE's Power of A and Inroads.