Schumer vows to keep Senate in session until debt ceiling issue is resolved.

The Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), has promised to keep the upper chamber in session until the debt ceiling legislation is approved. He stated that “time is a luxury the Senate does not have” and that they will keep working until the job is done.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act, which suspends the debt ceiling until Jan. 1, 2025, cuts nondefense discretionary spending slightly in 2024, and limits discretionary spending growth to 1 percent in 2025, has already cleared the House with an overwhelming bipartisan vote on May 31. The bill also contains permitting reforms for oil and gas drilling, changes to work requirements for some social welfare programs, and clawbacks of $20 billion in IRS funding and $30 billion in unspent COVID-19 relief funds.

While Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) have endorsed the measure, some senators have refused to commit until their amendments are considered.

Proposed Changes

• Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) intends to introduce an amendment that would increase the debt limit by $500 billion rather than suspending it. The amendment would also impose cuts to discretionary federal spending totaling $1.2 trillion over five years.
• Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) is offering an amendment to remove provisions for the completion of the Mountain Valley Pipeline from the bill. The pipeline is projected to reach 303 miles in length, connecting sites in West Virginia and Virginia. It has been opposed by citizens’ groups and environmentalists.
• Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) is on record

“I think it’s unlikely to get enough votes to pass because there aren’t enough conservatives in the Senate,” Paul said. Nevertheless, he is offering the amendment because he believes it represents the will of the people.

Sen. Rand Paul believes that the majority of people in the United States would like to have significant fiscal reform before raising the debt ceiling. He expects to get a vote on his amendment, although the prospect of passage is slim.