Is McCarthy turning his back on the GOP?
It is possible that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy might have to break his promise to the Republicans in order to prevent a government shutdown.
According to Newsweek, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has set a June 1 deadline for when the federal government may begin defaulting on its debts, and negotiations over the debt limit are currently ongoing. Even though House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with President Joe Biden on Tuesday, offering hope that a deal could be reached, it usually takes the Senate a full week to process a bill.
McCarthy has a deadline of less than a week to fulfill his previous commitment of allowing lawmakers to review a bill for 72 hours before it is voted upon on the House floor.
After a meeting on Tuesday, McCarthy informed the press that a deal could potentially be reached by the week’s end, but acknowledged that there are significant differences between the two sides. If an agreement is reached by Sunday, it would leave a narrow 10-day window for Congress to approve the package and for McCarthy to fulfill his promise of a three-day review period.
In a closely contested election for the speakership, the House Speaker agreed to include the 72-hour provision as a House rule. This was a significant change that was secured by conservatives in exchange for their support of McCarthy. The new rule was approved in January.
Conservatives have been advocating for the release of bill texts several days in advance of a vote for years. They believe that this would enhance transparency in the legislative process and prevent major bills from being negotiated behind closed doors.
In the current legislative session, the 72-hour rule was expected to be especially significant for the votes on congressional term limits, a border security plan, and the debt limit.
Newsweek was informed by Gregory Koger, a political scientist at the University of Miami who specializes in American legislative bodies, that there are some exceptions to the speed at which the Senate can pass a bill. Unanimous consent could result in the passing of a non-controversial bill in less than a minute, or occasionally for “crisis legislation.”
Koger explained that the speed at which a bill is passed in the Senate ultimately depends on the level of cooperation among congressional lawmakers.
McCarthy has violated the rule regarding the 72-hour review period once already, specifically concerning federal spending.