Debt-Ceiling Deal Makes It Kevin McCarthy 3, Detractors 0

For House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, pursuing a bipartisan deal to avoid defaulting on the nation’s debt meant putting his own job at risk. Now he is taking a victory lap, even as threats to his leadership endure in corners of his party. 

On Wednesday, the California Republican successfully shepherded a must-pass bill through the House to suspend the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling into early 2025 in exchange for reining in federal spending. The bill, crafted in breakneck talks with the White House, now heads to the Senate, where senators are rushing to get it through to make a June 5 deadline and avoid an unprecedented U.S. default. 

“I’m not sure which promise I could make that I couldn’t keep,” a triumphant McCarthy said Wednesday night.