House Republicans left Washington on Thursday without a deal on the debt limit and with a brewing revolt against Speaker Kevin McCarthy because of a rumored compromise with President Biden.
Ultra-conservative lawmakers are up in arms over alleged details of a compromise that leaked out of the negotiations. Rep. Tim Burchett shared with fellow members of the House Freedom Caucus a document purporting to detail a list of spending compromises agreed to by negotiators.
“We’ve heard rumors that there may be some sort of a deal that would be less than desirable to a majority of Republicans,” said Rep. Bob Good, Virginia Republican.
Mr. McCarthy’s negotiating team said the document was not authentic. They said nothing has been agreed to yet.
The document outlines a potential deal to lift the debt ceiling until after the 2024 election while clawing back unspent coronavirus relief. It also incentivizes congressional leaders to start negotiating budget cuts through appropriations. The size of the cuts and the fate of expanded work requirements are still being negotiated.
Freedom Caucus members said that lifting the debt limit until after the election is a non-starter. The group is backing only a hike until May 2024 in hopes of extracting further concessions from Mr. Biden next year.
The White House fiercely opposes setting up another debt limit showdown next year at the height of the presidential race.
Mr. Burchett, Tennesse Republican, has not disclosed where the document came from. Several lawmakers confirmed seeing it and
