House Dems Unveil Secret Plan to Force ‘Clean’ Debt Ceiling Vote

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced a previously secret long-shot plan on Tuesday to force a vote to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a default — without GOP-backed spending cuts. 

The Details: Democrats only need five Republicans to sign on to their discharge petition to force a vote on their “clean” debt limit increase, which would be added as an amendment to a bill introduced by Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) in January, titled, “The Breaking the Gridlock Act.” Several reports framed the plan as unlikely to succeed, but Jeffries said Democrats were “working to make sure we have all options at our disposal to avoid a default.”

For Context: The deadline to avoid a default is June 1, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Monday. The same day, President Joe Biden invited House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to meet next week to discuss House Republicans’ recently-passed debt limit and spending cuts bill. While Biden and McCarthy continued to stick to their positions, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declined to intervene, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer planned hearings to “expose” the “reckless” House GOP bill.

How the Media Covered It: While coverage was common across the spectrum, outlets on the right appeared not to feature it as prominently. Framing was generally similar regardless of the source’s bias rating, although some coverage from the right emphasized Democrats were trying “to go around” McCarthy.