April 26 (UPI) — House Republicans on Wednesday approved a rule allowing debate on their plan to raise the debt ceiling and cut spending, as they scrambled to pass their legislation before a possible credit default this summer.
The House voted 219-210 to approve the rule governing debate on the bill after making several changes to appease Republican holdouts. GOP leaders have said that they might be able to pass the bill later Wednesday.
“We’re working to get this done as soon as possible,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., according to the Hill. “Our members are very focused on getting this done.”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy initially had said that no changes to the legislation would be made, but he ended up acquiescing to appease the holdouts.
The changes to the legislation would rescind a large part of the Inflation Reduction Act, cut back on social safety net programs such as SNAP, and rescind tax credits for renewable energy.
South Carolina Republican Nany Mace, who had been one of the key holdouts, said that she would support the bill.
Democrats have repeatedly pushed for an increase to the debt limit with no strings attached, and they have criticized Republicans for a lack of transparency.
According to Politico, Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern accused Republicans of quickly cobbling together a “disgraceful amendment that materialized from your midnight séance.”
Congress is expected to have until sometime in the summer to lift the debt ceiling or risk a national default.