We begin with Jennifer Scholtes of POLITICO and the efforts of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to corral House support for his tentative agreement with President Joe Biden to raise the debt limit and Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas’ efforts to block the agreement from even coming to the House floor for a vote.
With a passage vote set for Wednesday, a few Republicans have suggested using the Rules Committee to block the 99-page package from making it to the floor. And Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) further hinted at that strategy Monday afternoon.
The Texas Republican said on Twitter that an “explicit” agreement was made during private negotiations in January to elect McCarthy to the speakership: No bill could get to the floor without “unanimous” Republican support on the Rules Committee, on which Roy serves.
Any holdups like a delay in teeing up House floor debate would cost leaders precious time in clearing the bill through both chambers before the expected deadline for maxing out the nation’s borrowing authority. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s latest forecast pegs that X-date as June 5, now just a week away.
Republicans working to rally support for the bill are already casting doubt on Roy’s claim of a secret promise.