in the House and must reach out to Democrats to support the compromise. But neither side is expected to be happy with the final agreement reached Sunday between the president and speaker.
“Doesn’t matter how many times it takes,” he went on, “you want to make sure you get an agreement worthy of the American public.” McCarthy isn’t known as a seasoned legislator, one who has delved deeply into policy details or put his name on many big bills. The White House refused initially to engage with McCarthy over the debt ceiling, insisting Congress must simply do its job, raise the nation’s debt limit and skip the political brinksmanship.
The debt ceiling fight is not one that Congress needs to take on, and historically it was rarely like this. Often a routine endeavor, the vote to lift the debt limit, now $31 trillion, would allow the Treasury Department to keep paying the bills without any risk of default, ensuring America’s standing as the world economy with the most trusted currency.
The hard-right House Freedom Caucus chased one former speaker, John Boehner, to early retirement. Another speaker, Paul Ryan, left office after a short term.