US debt ceiling

Bob Good speaks before some other members of the Freedom Caucus. J. Scott Applewhite / AP  

 

Right-wing group and belligerent senator could threaten the deal  

 

Now the work begins for Joe Biden and Kevin McCarthy to convince their own party members in the two chambers of Congress to vote yes to the agreement on the debt ceiling. It won't be easy.  

 

In the House of Representatives, 35 Republicans belong to the deeply right-wing conservative group Freedom Caucus, which wants to make major cuts in the state apparatus. After the deal was in place, Speaker Kevin McCarthy held a conference call with his party colleagues. According to Politico sources, McCarthy called the deal a "huge victory" and said Democrats didn't "get a single thing through."  

 

According to Politico's sources, the Freedom Caucus was divided. "Sounds like a damn good deal," said Jim Jordan, while Bob Good said he's "extremely disappointed."  

 

Even in the Senate, where the Democrats have a majority, the agreement may encounter scrutiny. Republican Senator Mike Lee has already vowed to use "every tool at his disposal" to slow down the process if he is not satisfied with the deal. 

 

Only later on Sunday do the politicians get to see the agreement in its entirety. The agreement must be voted through by June 5 at the latest to avoid state bankruptcy.  

 

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Patrick Semansky / AP  

 

The parties agree after weeks - agreement on debt ceiling reached  

 

After weeks of negotiations, US President Joe Biden and Republicans in Congress have agreed on an agreement in principle to raise the debt ceiling. 

 

- We still have a lot of work to do, but this is a good agreement in principle for the American people, says Republican Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the House of Representatives.  

 

The details of the agreement are not known and before it enters into force it must be approved by Congress. CBS News reports that the agreement means, among other things, that the budget space is kept at the same level for another two years. The exception is the defense budget.  

 

Biden. Archive image. Susan Walsh/AP 

 

Biden: Say yes to the deal as soon as possible 

 

Get this over the top. That was the message from President Joe Biden to Congress after the news that the White House and Republican representatives had reached an agreement on the debt ceiling.  

 

In a statement, Biden urged both the House of Representatives and the Senate to vote on the agreement "at once." 

 

"The deal is a compromise, which means not everyone gets what they want," Biden wrote.  

 

According to the Financial Times, the agreement risks encountering scrutiny in both chambers. Especially Republicans on the right who are close to Donald Trump are a factor of uncertainty.