House members will take a recess but should remain nearby in case of a debt limit agreement.

House Members on Standby as Debt Ceiling Negotiations Continue

Members of the House of Representatives will be permitted to leave Washington, D.C., on Thursday for recess, but lawmakers are instructed to “stay close” in case they have to return to the Capitol should a deal be struck on the debt ceiling over the weekend, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said on Wednesday.

Following tomorrow’s votes, if some new agreement is reached between President Biden and Speaker McCarthy, members will receive 24 hours’ notice if you need to return to Washington for any additional votes either over the weekend or next week,” Scalise said on the House floor.

MAKE OR BREAK: THIS WEEK INTO NEXT IS CRITICAL WINDOW FOR DEBT CEILING NEGOTIATIONS

The debt ceiling negotiations continue as the White House and Republican negotiators remain at an impasse. With just over a week until the default deadline, lawmakers are bracing for the possibility of staying in Washington over the holiday weekend. However, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he “felt good” about the progress made during the afternoon meeting between negotiators but noted there remain several sticking points.

Among those disagreements are spending caps, which the White House and Republicans have wrestled over since before negotiations began. “You have to spend less than you spent last year. That’s not that difficult to do,” McCarthy said. “But in Washington, somehow, that is a problem. They have increased spending with the Democrats in the majority. … We can find waste; we can eliminate that.”

The looming default deadline when the country could become unable to pay its debts gives the White House and Congress just eight days to come to a deal and pass legislation raising the debt ceiling and addressing government spending. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said he thinks it’s “still possible” to get a bill passed by the House and Senate before that deadline.

What’s Next?

• Lawmakers are on standby as debt ceiling negotiations continue.
• Spending caps remain a sticking point in negotiations.
• The looming default deadline gives the White House and Congress just eight days to come to a deal and pass legislation raising the debt ceiling and addressing government spending.

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