It's 'A Farce': Conservative Lawmakers SLAM Debt Deal As GOP Divide Deepens

The United States Senate passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the compromise deal between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and President Joe Biden (D), that suspended the debt ceiling for two years by a vote of 63-36 in its favor, according to Just the News. 

This effectively quashed Senator Mike Lee's (R-UT) admittedly unlikely proposal of at least 41 Republicans opposing motions bringing the parliamentary debate to a close. The eleven attempts to amend the bill were also shot down. 

A summary of the Fiscal Responsible Act, as provided by the Congressional Research Service, is that it "increases the federal debt limit, establishes new discretionary spending limits, rescinds unobligated funds, and expands work requirements for federal programs." Of those 36 who opposed the bill in the upper chamber, only five were not Republican. These non-Republican naysayers were Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Edward Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

Republican senators who previously voiced concern over the bill and wanted to amend it ended up voting against the unaltered legislation. Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) previously commented that he would "attempt to offer some amendments to make this thing salvageable. And we’ll see what ultimately comes out of the House. But in its present form, I’m a firm no." 

I’ll attempt to offer some amendments to make this thing salvageable. And we’ll see what ultimately comes out of the House. But in its present form I’m a firm no.

— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) May 30, 2023

He ended up voting against the bill and released a statement explaining that "I had hoped we could improve this deal through the amendment process, but the reality is this bill was beyond saving...Ohioans have suffered long enough from the inflation caused by the Biden administration’s out of control budget, and this bill simply does nothing to end their spending spree. This is a bad deal for the people of Ohio, which is why I voted against it this evening." 

Senator Mike Lee, who had sought to amend the bill, 'heralded' its passage with the words "The Senate has passed a farce" on social media.
 

The Senate has passed a farce.

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) June 2, 2023

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Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) expressed his opposition to the final form of the bill that passed. He wrote, "[r]eckless spending got us into this mess, and this debt limit deal missed the mark to curb Washington’s habits. We simply didn’t get enough in return for the new debt we’ll incur as a result of this deal."
 

Reckless spending got us into this mess, and this debt limit deal missed the mark to curb Washington’s habits.

We simply didn’t get enough in return for the new debt we’ll incur as a result of this deal. https://t.co/Mt9yNyhoGl

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) June 2, 2023

In contrast, dissenting Democrats tended to emphasize that the bill's cuts in environmental protections and social security programs as the reason for their nay voters, and in Senator Markey's case he pressed for the "abolish[ment of] the debt ceiling to bring an end to the Republicans’ hostage-taking—for good." 

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) released a statement praising the bill and deal after its passage. "Thanks to House Republicans’ efforts, the Fiscal Responsibility Act avoids the catastrophic consequences of default and begins to curb Washington Democrats’ addiction to reckless spending that grows our nation’s debt...Tonight, the Senate passed legislation that will reduce federal spending by $1.5 trillion, begin to reform the infrastructure permitting process, finally rescind unspent COVID dollars, and cut spending at the IRS. But our work is far from over, particularly in delivering necessary support to America’s armed forces," McConnell said. 

Senator Todd Young (R-IN) similarly defended the deal as a "modest but substantive spending and budget reforms, and it ensures that the United States will not default on our debt obligations...a compromise that should be just an initial step toward addressing our nation’s fiscal challenges."