Debt limit rule adopted after Democrats ride to rescue
The House adopted a rule for floor debate on the debt ceiling and spending curbs package after Democrats flooded in to keep the measure on track at the very last minute.
The rule vote had been giving GOP leaders anxiety, as Congress faces a June 5 deadline to lift the nation's $31.4 trillion borrowing cap. Republican leaders ultimately lost 29 of their members on the procedural vote and the rule looked set to go down as the gavel was about to fall.
At that moment, Democrats started to cast their votes in favor and in some cases, flipping from a "no" to a "yes". In the end, 52 Democrats voted for the rule and it was adopted on a 241-187 vote — much more lopsided than it seemed it would be just minutes earlier.
Both parties' leadership endorsed the bill this week, predicting it would get the necessary votes despite defections from the right and left. But procedural votes on the terms of debate are customarily party-line affairs, and Republican leaders faced a revolt from hard-line conservatives opposed to the deal.
That meant wooing some Democrats to cross the aisle and back the rule was necessary to offset GOP losses on the procedural vote Wednesday afternoon.
Source: Roll Call
