Perspectives: The Senate's Debt Ceiling Standoff
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Despite warnings that inaction could lead to an economic crisis, the U.S. Senate has reached a partisan impasse on suspending the debt ceiling. A short-term offer from Republicans to extend the debt limit into December is likely to be accepted by Democrats, but doesn't solve the issue of how the limit will be raised. Senate Republicans have promised for months to vote against and filibuster any debt ceiling vote, arguing that Democrats should suspend the debt ceiling by themselves through budget reconciliation. Senate Democrats can only use reconciliation once per fiscal year, and plan to use it to pass their planned $3.5 trillion social and economic policy bill, which is currently stalled by opposition from moderate Democratic senators.
Voices in right-rated outlets mainly backed up Senate Republicans’ arguments and criticized Democrats’ spending plans. Voices in left-rated outlets tended to criticize Republicans or attempt to offer alternative solutions.
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From the Center
What Americans Think About The Fight Over The Debt Ceiling
Democrats in Congress have their work cut out for them this fall. They were able to cut a deal with Republican lawmakers to avert a government shutdown, but when it comes to passing the rest of President Biden’s agenda, including both an ambitious $3.5 trillion spending plan and a bipartisan infrastructure deal, Democrats have much to sort out. It’s still too early to say how much jeopardy either bill is in — assessing Democratic intraparty divisions is difficult — but the fact that Senate Republicans have said they’ll refuse to help raise the debt ceiling creates a real legislative challenge...
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Wonking Out: Biden Should Ignore the Debt Limit and Mint a $1 Trillion Coin
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From the Right
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Democrats keep telling Americans they have the votes and a mandate to pass the biggest tax increase since 1968 and the biggest domestic spending bill ever. Yet they also claim they’re helpless to raise the federal debt ceiling without Republican votes.
It’s a preposterous position, albeit of the sort this Administration often tries to sell. Such as: The soaring number of illegal border crossings in Texas is merely “seasonal,” the Afghanistan withdrawal was a success, and the cost of the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill is “zero.”
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