The Senate passed a $2.5 trillion debt ceiling increase that will push the ceiling past the 2022 midterm elections by temporarily bypassing the Senate’s filibuster.
The Senate passed, 50-49, S.J. Res 33, with solely Democrat votes.
The measure moves to the House, where it is quickly expected to pass and get sent to President Joe Biden’s desk. The federal government may face a default on its debt if Congress fails to raise the debt ceiling by December 15.
The Senate passed the debt ceiling increase after the members created a one-time carveout to the Senate’s rules, allowing Democrats to pass the bill with a simple majority.
Conservatives have noted that this would grant Democrats a pathway to pass more legislation by breaking the filibuster.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), when the Senate approved the resolution to create the one-time filibuster carveout last week, warned that this would “be one more tool” to be used to “abuse the American people:”
This debt ceiling bill is a blank check for the Democrats’ reckless tax and spending bill. pic.twitter.com/aNYhbVDos7
— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) December 9, 2021
Rachel Bovard, the senior director of policy for the Conservative Partnership Institute, wrote in a recent op-ed:
In the twisted world of Washington, D.C., politics, this allows McConnell and the Senate GOP to claim they are technically keeping their pledge not to raise the debt ceiling after they vote for a bill creating the opportunity for Democrats to do it for them. What’s more, the legislation allows the Democrats to raise the debt ceiling to whatever amount they choose. Literally, the bill provides a blank space for the number to be filled in. Presumably, they could insert the symbol for infinity, and Republicans would still happily tee up for the vote for them. Yes, I told you it was craven.
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) said on the Senate floor ahead of the debt ceiling vote that the one-time carveout shows a path toward election reform.
“We could not imagine changing the rules. Until last week, we did exactly that. This is a step … we haven’t been able to take to save our broken democracy … we changed the rules to protect the full faith and credit of the United States government,” Warnock said.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) said in a statement after the debt ceiling vote,
If Democrats can carve out the filibuster to raise the debt ceiling to avoid economic collapse for millions of American families, then we can do the same thing for voting rights. Our economy was at stake with the debt ceiling, and our democracy is at stake with voting rights. We should abolish the filibuster to provide electoral integrity at the ballot box and take action now to enshrine the will and voices of the American people.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also said he is pushing Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to back filibuster reform.
“There is a strong belief in the Senate,that we can restore the Senate and at the same time deal with voting rights, and that’s what we’re aiming to do,” Schumer said Tuesday.
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.
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