White House, Republicans each release debt ceiling talking points to sell deal | The bridge expert

Copies of the respective parties’ talking points on the debt cap ‘agreement in principle’ reached Saturday night between Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) have been sent to Democrats and Republicans to sell the deal. Each set of talking points played different parts of the deal to please their respective party members.

NBC News reporter Sahil Kapur posted copies of the talking points on Twitter.

And here are the House GOP talking points, obtained by @katiadoyl.

Titled “The Fiscal Responsibility Act”, they highlight spending cuts, cancellation of unspent Covid funds, NEPA changes and administrative payments. pic.twitter.com/giEmTqejX6

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) May 28, 2023

New: White House talking points just sent to Hill Democrats and chiefs of staff, obtained by NBC News.

How they sell a debt limit agreement:

—”budget agreement”
—2-year spending agreement, 2-year debt limit
—No budget cap after 2025
—No changes to Medicaid, student loans, or IRAct pic.twitter.com/Fy5UTDHoNn

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) May 28, 2023

McCarthy spoke to reporters earlier, saying the deal “provides historic spending cuts, back-to-back reforms that will lift people out of poverty into the workforce, curb government excesses, there will be no new taxes, no new government programs”.

Biden released a statement saying that while the deal is a “compromise,” it “protects my top legislative priorities and accomplishments as well as those of congressional Democrats.”

Greg Price noted the White House dipping on the House Freedom Caucus:

White House talking points boast victory over the @freedomcaucus and keeping the same expenses. pic.twitter.com/jUnSJEgHnh

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) May 28, 2023

GOP congressmen with differing views on the case.

Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO), “I listened to President McCarthy earlier tonight describe the deal with President Biden and I am appalled by the scrapping of the debt ceiling. United States will have 35 trillion dollars of debt in January 2025. This is totally unacceptable.

Earlier tonight I listened to President McCarthy describe the deal with President Biden and I am appalled at the scrapping of the debt ceiling.

Ultimately, the United States will be $35 trillion in debt by January 2025.

It is completely unacceptable.

— Rep. Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) May 28, 2023

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), “Tonight, @SpeakerMcCarthy updated the @HouseGOP on the deal reached with @POTUS – It cuts spending for the first time in our country’s history and caps it to 1% for the next 6 years. Like I said: we have to negotiate, we have to cut spending and we can’t default. We did it… The bill will also stop the hiring of IRS agents for 23, recover unallocated COVID money, reform NEPA, strengthen work requirements for TANF and SNAP, restart student loan payments, protect Social Security and Medicare, and fund entirely our veterans and our military…Finally, it will curb executive excesses and force a functional appropriations process by imposing a 99% cap on the CR level unless all appropriations bills pass… Although no one is happy with all aspects of the bill, it represents a compromise and a major step forward for our country. Voters elected me to serve as a check and balance to the Biden administration and that is exactly what I did. I will vote for this bill.

The bill will also stop the hiring of IRS agents for 23 months, recover unallocated COVID money, reform NEPA, strengthen work requirements for TANF and SNAP, restart student loan payments, protect the social security and medicare, and will fully fund our veterans and military.

—Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) May 28, 2023

While no one will be happy with every aspect of the bill, it represents a compromise and a big step forward for our country. Voters elected me to serve as a check and balance to the Biden administration and that is exactly what I did. I will vote for this bill.

—Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) May 28, 2023

Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), “This ‘deal’ is madness. A $4 trillion debt ceiling increase with virtually no reduction is not what we agreed to. I won’t vote not to bankrupt our country. The American people deserve better.

This “deal” is madness.

A $4 trillion increase in the debt ceiling with virtually no reduction is not what we agreed to.

I will not vote to bankrupt our country. The American people deserve better.

— Rep. Ralph Norman (@RepRalphNorman) May 28, 2023

The text of the bill has not yet been drafted. McCarthy is abiding by the 72-hour rule, so a vote is scheduled for Thursday indicating it will take a day or two to draft the bill based on the “agreement in principle.”

SCALISE said members should plan to be back on Tuesday before a vote on Thursday

—Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) May 28, 2023