Dems Lack GOP Votes for Clean Debt-Ceiling Bill

House and Senate Democrats are maneuvering to force votes on legislation to raise the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling without spending cuts demanded by Republicans.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the U.S. could reach its debt limit June 1, when it will no longer be able to pay its debt and could lose its reserve currency status. The Congressional Budget Office estimated the U.S. would reach the limit in July or September. The U.S. has never defaulted on its debt.

In a “dear colleague” letter dated Tuesday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Democrats plan to file a discharge petition that, if signed by 218 House members, would force a vote on a clean debt-ceiling increase, without spending cuts demanded by Republicans.

Last week, the GOP-led House passed legislation that would raise the debt limit by $1.5 trillion with about $4.5 trillion in spending cuts.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Monday put a clean debt-ceiling bill and the House’s bill on the Senate calendar, Axios reported.

“This process will ensure that once a clean debt ceiling is passed the House bill is available for a bipartisan agreement on spending and revenue as part of the regular budget process,” a Schumer spokesperson said.

Democrats would need five House Republicans to vote on the discharge petition, but moderate Republicans are sticking behind House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who has been pleading with Democrats to negotiate on a debt limit deal.

“Leader Jeffries refuses to negotiate,” Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told Axios. “That’s not how it works in a divided government. We have to govern, which means we have to find some agreement, which means we must negotiate.”

A moderate Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Axios: “I don’t [support a discharge petition]. [President Joe] Biden has been doing a horrible job of outreach to moderates.”

NBC News reported Tuesday that Senate Republicans are unwilling to accept a short-term increase to the debt limit to give Congress more time to negotiate a broader deal with Biden.

“If she [Yellen] would have said June 15, it would have been done closer to June 15,” said Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D, according to NBC. “If she would have said July 1, it would have been done closer to July 1. This will always go down to the wire when you have divided government.”

Asked if he would be open to a short-term debt-ceiling increase, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said, “No, absolutely not. That’s just a bunch of gimmicks.”

Senate Republicans are also not wild about approving a clean debt-ceiling bill.

“The House has passed a bill, if that’s not acceptable to the Democrats, sit down and negotiate something,” Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Monday, according to Axios. “I’m supporting the House provision.”