Crisis averted as Senate sends debt limit package to Biden – JP

To remove that obstacle, Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., entered a statement into the record pledging that the debt ceiling package wouldn’t preclude consideration of emergency supplementals, whether for defense and national security-related purposes or domestic needs.

Senators also beat back 11 amendments which were offered with the understanding they wouldn’t get the votes to be tacked onto the bill. Any adopted amendments would have sent the bill back to the House, whose members already left town for the weekend.

The rejected amendments ran the gamut. The one Democratic amendment, from Virginia’s Tim Kaine, would have struck a provision that would expedite approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline running from West Virginia to his state.

Others would have imposed a 25 percent tariff on Chinese imports, cut additional IRS funding to offset increased defense spending, toughened work requirements to receive food stamp benefits, and more.

Long-sought compromise

The long-sought compromise package likewise drew strong bipartisan support when it passed the House Wednesday on a 314-117 vote; the “no” votes were roughly evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans.