Some Dem Lawmakers Call to Raise Debt Ceiling With Reconciliation, Others Remain Opposed

Democratic lawmakers continue to debate whether to pursue raising the debt ceiling through reconciliation now that the Senate has passed a temporary measure to extend government funding until December.

The Senate by a narrow vote passed last-minute legislation on Thursday to keep the federal government from going into default. The temporary bill extends funding through Dec. 3, with the decision of the debt ceiling remaining.

Despite the temporary nature of the legislation, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a speech on Thursday claiming victory and blasting Republicans for creating the tense situation, based on their view that American’s taxpayers shouldn’t take on more debt to further expand government spending.

“I am glad that their brinksmanship did not work,” Schumer said. He added that “despite immense opposition from Leader McConnell and members of his conference, our [Democratic] caucus held together, and we have pulled our country back from the cliff’s edge that Republicans tried to push us over.”

McConnell’s Response

“Last night, in a bizarre spectacle, Senator Schumer exploded in a rant that was so partisan, angry, and corrosive that even Democratic Senators were visibly embarrassed by him and for him. This tantrum encapsulated and escalated a pattern of angry incompetence from Senator Schumer,” House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell wrote in a letter on Friday.

“The Senate Democratic Leader had three months’ notice to handle one of his most basic governing duties,” McConnell wrote.

“Amazingly, even this proved to be asking too much. Senator Schumer spent 11 weeks claiming he lacked the time and the leadership skills to manage a straightforward process that would take less than two weeks,” he added.

Some Democrats Remain Open to Negotiation

Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren said that Democrats were willing to use “every tool we can” but that there wasn’t enough time to raise the debt ceiling through reconciliation last week.

“There is not enough time. It will not work without Republican cooperation, and they are not giving us any cooperation,” she told reporters, according to The Hill.

West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin released a recent statement to remind Americans of his view on both the Biden administration’s infrastructure bill and reconciliation bills, which will cost American taxpayers trillions more in debt.

“America is a great nation but great nations throughout history have been weakened by careless spending and bad policies,” Machin wrote.

“Now, more than ever, we must work together to avoid these fatal mistakes so that we may fulfill our responsibility as elected officials and pass on a better America to the next generation,” he added.

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