US House Rules panel to meet Tuesday on debt ceiling bill

Reuters

Published May 29, 2023 09:32AM ET

Updated May 29, 2023 09:51AM ET

By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. House Rules Committee said it will meet on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the debt ceiling bill, which needs to pass a narrowly divided Congress before June 5, when the U.S. Treasury says it would run short of money to cover all its obligations.

Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Sunday signed off on an agreement to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and cap some federal spending in order to prevent a U.S. debt default. Biden said the deal was ready to move to Congress for a vote.

"The Committee on Rules will meet Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 3:00 PM ET (7:00 PM GMT)," the panel said in a statement on Monday.

The deal, if approved, will prevent the U.S. government from defaulting on its debt and comes after weeks of heated negotiations between Biden and House Republicans. It has drawn fire from both hardline Republicans and progressive Democrats, but Biden and McCarthy are banking on getting enough votes from both sides.

McCarthy on Sunday predicted he would have the support of a majority of his fellow Republicans, and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said he expected Democratic support.