House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has proposed a plan to increase the national debt limit by $1.5 trillion while imposing conditions on cutting domestic programs, except for the Pentagon’s budget. The GOP aims to limit spending growth to 1 percent per year, and the new debt limit must not be breached until March 31, 2024, requiring Congress to increase borrowing authority by that date.
The GOP’s Proposal and its Impact on Social Programs
The Republican Party’s proposal aims to fulfill their long-standing goals of imposing work requirements on social programs such as Medicaid and food stamps. It would also limit eligibility for food stamps for childless, able-bodied adults aged 18 to 55 and include new work requirements for Medicaid. The bill would rescind COVID-19 funding and expedite new oil drilling projects.
The GOP’s proposal would block President Biden’s plan to grant student loan forgiveness and repeal green energy tax credits. It would also limit food stamp eligibility for childless, able-bodied adults aged 18 to 55 to three months every three years, unless they meet certain criteria. The plan has little chance of passing the Democratic-led Senate and has been criticized by President Biden.
The GOP hopes that If the bill passes the House, it will strengthen their position and force President Biden to negotiate a spending cut package before a possible default occurs this summer. However, according to CNN, many House Republicans are yet to decide whether to support the plan, as McCarthy needs to attract skeptical conservative hardliners without alienating moderate members and swing-district Republicans.
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The White House’s Position on the Borrowing Limit
The House GOP has rejected the White House’s call to raise the borrowing limit without conditions. They propose to cut domestic programs while exempting the Pentagon’s budget and limit spending growth to 1 percent per year.
The White House’s position on the borrowing limit is that it should be raised without conditions, as has been the tradition. However, the House GOP has insisted on cutting domestic programs while leaving the Pentagon’s budget untouched and limiting spending growth. According to CBS News, this proposal has little chance of passing the Democratic-led Senate and has been criticized by President Biden.
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