Debt limit deal heads to vote in full House while McCarthy seeks Republican approval

Under heat from conservatives, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy workedfranticallyTuesday (May 30)to persuade other Republicans to support the debt ceiling and budget agreement he signedwith President Joe Biden in order to avoid a potentially catastrophic USdefault.

Leaders of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus slammed the deal for falling well short of the expenditure cutbacks they seek, vowing to block its approval in Congress, as reported by the Associated press.

The Republican Study Committee, a far larger conservative bloc, remained silent. Even rank-and-file moderate conservatives were divided, leaving McCarthy urgently seeking support.

The House Rules Committee voted 7-6 Tuesday to send a bill to the entire House dealing with the federal debt ceiling, with two Republicans joining Democrats in opposition.

The House as a whole is set to vote on Wednesday.

What would an approval from both the House and Senate mean?

Quick passage by both the House and Senate would ensure that federal payments continue to be issued to social security beneficiaries, veterans, and others, as well as preventing economic turmoil acrossthe world by allowing the Treasury to continue paying US bills.

The agreement, as outlined in the 99-page law, would limit spending over the next two years, but it contains environmental policy changes and enhanced job requirements for certain senior food aid recipients, both of which Democrats fiercely oppose.

According to the White House, Biden was communicating directly to lawmakers, making more than 100 one-on-one calls. Top administration officials are on their way to Capitol Hill to inform Democrats secretly ahead of the scheduled vote on Wednesday.

With few members anticipated to be completely happy, Biden and McCarthy are hoping to gain majority approval from the Senate.

The House plans to vote on the bill on Wednesday and send it to the Senate, where Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican Leader McConnell are aiming for passage by the end of the week.

Schumer referred to the bill as a "sensible compromise." McCarthy, according to McConnell, "deserves our thanks."

Senators, who had mostly stood on the sidelines during much of the president's and House Speaker's deliberations, began to intervene more aggressively in the argument.

ALSO WATCH |Is United States provoking China by using Philippines?

Some senators are pressing on modifications from both the left and right edges to modify the plan. This might need lengthy deliberations, delaying ultimate acceptance of the agreement.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE: