McCarthy mocked for needing Democrats to pass debt ceiling deal

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is being mocked after Democrats came to the rescue to help him pass his debt-ceiling deal through the GOP-controlled House.

The bill, known as the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, was written after negotiations between McCarthy and President Joe Biden. It passed by a vote of 314-117 in the House on Wednesday night. However, only 149 House Republicans voted in favor of the legislation, and 165 Democrats helped carry it to the finish line.

During a press conference after the vote, McCarthy dismissed suggestions that he could have given away more than Biden in the deal. insisting that he thought it was “wonderful” that more Democrats had voted for the bill than Republicans because they were now “on record” as agreeing with some of their positions.

While some praised McCarthy for his role in getting the deal done and passed in the House, a significant number of members of Congress, political pundits, and observers ridiculed the California Republican on social media after the legislation passed. .

The far-right House Freedom Caucus, which has strongly opposed the bill, was unequivocal in its condemnation of the legislation’s passage, tweeting that the discrepancy between the Democratic and Republican votes “tells you all you need to know.”

“This is a victory for Joe Biden: an uncapped debt ceiling hike to fund his agenda through January 2025 while leaving all his policies intact,” Freedom Caucus tweeted.

Several members of the Freedom Caucus also denounced the agreement shortly after the vote.

“Unfortunately, we had a rough night for America,” Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana. tweeted. “149 Republicans joined 165 Democrats in adding an additional $4 trillion to our national debt, an absolute insult to the American people!”

“More Democrats voted for this ‘historic Conservative victory’ than Republicans,” tweeted Representative Eli Crane of Arizona. “What a joke.”

“Spokesman McCarthy had significant influence over these negotiations, yet he capitulated on nearly every front,” Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs said in a statement. statement. “Tonight, the DC Uniparty is taking a victory lap while wringing out their radical wish list from President McCarthy.”

Republican criticism of McCarthy and the agreement was not limited to members of the Freedom Caucus.

Florida Rep. Cory Mills complained in a cheep that the bill “completely removes the debt limit for the remainder of a Biden presidency,” while adding “the term for a bill that gets more Democratic votes than Republican votes is a Democratic bill.” .

Patrick Parson, former chief of staff to Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, referred to the deal as the “debt scam” in a cheep calling the Democratic endorsement “shameful” and “humiliating.”

“McCarthy is a joke and anyone who supported him as a speaker should resign in disgrace!” tweeted @Aldaramira.

Members of the political left also mocked McCarthy after the bill passed with the support of more Democrats than Republicans.

“WOW. MORE Democrats voted to raise the debt ceiling than Republicans by the final tally, and Democrats aren’t even a majority.” tweeted podcaster Victor Shi, Biden’s 2020 delegate. “More evidence that Kevin McCarthy is a truly ineffective speaker and that the Republicans are in disarray.”

“It’s amazing that more House Democrats voted for Republican Chairman Kevin McCarthy’s spending-cutting bill than his own House Republicans,” said MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan. tweeted.

Democratic House members who voted for the bill praised their party for passing the bill, with Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia. tweeting that the vote had averted “a catastrophic debt default that would wreck our economy.”

“Even though we are in the minority, the Democrats provided more votes and were key to getting it done,” Beyer added. “An imperfect bill, but the alternative was much worse. I voted yes.”

Some Democrats also reportedly made comments suggesting they were gloating over McCarthy defending legislation they supported.

“Now we’re allowed to say it: we rolled them,” said Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman of California, according to Bloomberg reporter Erik Wasson.

“The left said the quiet part out loud tonight…” Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who voted against the bill, tweeted in response to Sherman’s reported comments.

news week has reached out to McCarthy’s office by email for comment.

Some McCarthy supporters praised the speaker for working to pass the bill, regardless of the partisan breakdown of the final vote tally.

Republican Rep. Garrett Graves of Louisiana, who voted in favor of the bill, call it “one of the most significant laws ever passed.”

“Congratulations, dear Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy,” @auinger2 tweeted. “Great job well done. WOW!”

“McCarthy won over the extremists in his party tonight who don’t give a damn about what’s right for America, but blindly follow irrational extremist dogma.” tweeted @Jim91674418. “McCarthy won and so did the United States.”