On Wednesday afternoon, leaders announced that Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Ed Case (D-Hawaii) signed a bill to raise the debt ceiling, bringing the total number of Democratic signatures to 211. To succeed, the Democrats will need at least five Republicans in the House to support the effort. If they get a majority, Democrats can force a vote on the bill.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-California), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, announced the need for “five more signatures.” However, Rep. Catherine Clarke (D-Massachusetts) stated that they “need a few Republicans to say ‘enough’.”
Despite this, Democrats are holding out for support from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R, CA), especially amid tense talks with the White House. The Republicans face a difficult problem, as Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R, Pennsylvania), co-chair of the moderate group Conference of Problem Solvers, said last week, “We are nowhere near that situation.”
“We have already made the framework, but the Senate has not acted. So the House cannot do Step 3 until at least Step 1 is passed. So the discharge petition is subject to consideration outside,” Fitzpatrick added. For more information and details, read The Hill’s article by Mike Lilith.