Democrats’ debt ceiling plan needs five GOP defections: Here are some potential targets
Ryan King
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House Democrats need at least five Republican defections for their debt ceiling backup plan to prevail.
So far, Republicans don’t appear to be interested. The plan, which was teased in a letter to Democrats that surfaced Tuesday, calls for the use of the discharge petition, a special procedure that would permit them to bypass House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and bring a clean debt ceiling bill to the floor.
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There are a number of hurdles in the way, especially considering the slow nature of the process in light of the June 1 deadline to resolve the debt ceiling problem. For it to succeed, the measure needs 218 signatures. Republicans control the House 222 to 213.
Democrats can begin collecting signatures starting on May 16, the Wall Street Journal reported. If, by some chance, the Democrats managed to succeed in the House, they will then face another uphill battle in the Senate with no Republicans in the upper chamber open to breaking a filibuster.
Here are several Republicans that Democrats may seek to win over.
Brian Fitzpatrick
At the top of the list is Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who is regarded as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. He is a co-chairman of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which has unveiled a framework to address the debt ceiling crisis. The measure would cast the debt limit problem aside and focus on spending.
Back in January, he teased that both parties were mulling over the possible use of the discharge position, but he added the caveat that they would need to “marry it with some kind of controls on deficits.”
So far, the Pennsylvania Republican has largely refrained from breaking ranks on the debt ceiling outside of the Problem Solvers Caucus framework. He has maintained that a “two-party solution” is needed to resolve the impasse.
https://twitter.com/RepBrianFitz/status/1652361612911681537?s=20
Don Bacon
Another member of the Problem Solvers Caucus who has shown an appetite for bipartisanship, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), has also taken note of the group’s framework. But he also already indicated that he is unlikely to go along with plans to deploy the discharge petition.
Earlier this year, he suggested such a measure would be “dead on arrival.” More recently, he reiterated that sentiment.
“I have zero appetite for Biden and Jeffries’ ‘my way or the highway’ approach. Our style of government requires us to find common ground, and they won’t act like adults and come to the table to negotiate,” Bacon told the Washington Examiner.
However, that doesn’t mean Democrats won’t try to nudge him into reversing course.
New York Republicans
In the last midterm election cycle, the Democrats were dealt a blow in the Empire State after Republicans managed to flip a handful of seats. Although the party is taking steps to go after them and make up for lost ground, House Democrats may seek to take advantage of these Republicans’ vulnerability.
Murmurs surfaced last month that Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) raised the discharge petition as an option. His office told the Washington Examiner at the time that he doesn’t “comment on discussion held in conference.”
“Congressman Lawler has consistently had three conditions: the President must negotiate with the Speaker; spending must be cut; and the United States will not default. Those are the Congressman’s objectives in the debt ceiling negotiation,” spokesman Nate Soule said.
So far, he and the other vulnerable New York Republicans have shown little inclination for bucking the party on the discharge petition.
California Republicans
In addition to New York, there’s a handful of vulnerable Republicans hailing from California, including members such as Reps. David Valadao (R-CA) and Young Kim (R-CA). But like the New York contingent, they have shown little appetite for moving on the discharge petition.
Valadao recently told a reporter that he plans on opposing the Democrats’ discharge petition efforts. Kim has similarly towed the party line on the debt limit, at least publicly.
Breaking ranks from the GOP during such high-profile negotiations with the Democrats is sure to draw ire from the base. But the stakes are high given the risk of default, and many of the vulnerable California Republicans have shown interest in moderation.
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Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently put renewed pressure on the debt limit discussions this week by moving up the timeline for the risk of default to June 1. McCarthy and other congressional leaders are set to meet with President Joe Biden on Tuesday to discuss the crisis.
Should the United States default on its debt obligations, there is a high risk of unemployment and inflation spiking, according to economists.