Speaker’s Chipotle saga during negotiations chronicled by top negotiator as debt reduced.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s Secret to Keeping Lawmakers and Reporters Happy During Debt Ceiling Negotiations

As the debt ceiling negotiations heated up, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) found an unlikely ally in his quest to keep lawmakers and reporters happy – Chipotle.

While reporters scurried around the Capitol last week, McCarthy went on a mission to find chips on Saturday. He even took Reps. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) and Garret Graves (R-LA) on a hike to Chipotle in Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.

Chips or No Chips?

Unfortunately, the trio left the restaurant empty-handed after discovering that the location had run out of chips. “We walked in, and when they announced they didn’t have chips, he goes ‘WE’RE LEAVING,’ and he walks out,” McHenry recalled on Wednesday.

But the group didn’t give up. They walked to another Chipotle location on H Street, which had chips in stock. “It was kind of an epic McCarthy move,” McHenry said. “When he walks in, Graves and I are in the middle of something a bit more serious – and he says, ‘We’re going to Chipotle.'”

And the best part? Reporters were later gifted chips and queso.

Debt Limit Deal: Where It Stands and What Is Still to Come

The House passed the debt ceiling on Wednesday evening with bipartisan support. It now heads to the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said the bill would “move quickly” to passage. However, a single senator has the ability to delay the process, a prospect Schumer worries could cost valuable time.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently moved the “X-date,” the date the United States will default on its debts, to June 5. Her previous estimate had the date as June 1.

Looks like Chipotle may have played a small but crucial role in keeping everyone’s spirits up during a tense negotiation. Who knew burrito bowls and chips could be so powerful?

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