Debt ceiling agreement clears 1st hurdle in House Rules Committee
Lisa Desjardins:
That's right.
The House Rules Committee, dominated by Republicans, but Republicans can only lose two votes on that committee, not more, if they're going to get a bill through with just Republican support. They have, we think, lost those two votes, but the third swing vote, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a short time ago, when I was in the room, announced he is a yes for essentially moving this bill out of committee.
You heard probably just now a sigh of relief from Speaker Kevin McCarthy at getting that yes-vote. Now, Massie is among those who still doesn't love the bill. It's not clear how he's going to vote on the floor.
But that is a — that was a very, very big moment, at least in moving forward, potentially setting up a vote, as Republicans would like to do tomorrow, for the bill overall.
Where are we in terms of those votes tomorrow, Amna? I spoke to a House member who is part of the GOP leadership team. That member told me that they are — haven't done a full whip count yet, but they believe they're getting their hands around the questions that members have. They're feeling good about it.
This is all just to say what your two interviews showed. We don't really know where the votes will go. But I will say this. You need more than 214 votes to defeat a bill. Right now, we have just 30 no-votes. So it's a long way for those opponents like Scott Perry to go.
Source: PBS NewsHour
