https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hitchhikers-guide-crunch-week-debt-ceiling
There is too much to do and too little time if the date is June 1,” said the lawmaker who asked they not be identified. “No way.”
How President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., bridge this chasm is unclear. Observers note that negotiations this intense should have been underway at least in April – with the expectation the sides would hit hiccups like the ones on Friday. That pause cost the sides nearly three days of talks. And anyone who has watched negotiations like these know that those speedbumps are inevitable.
It’s possible there could be more. That’s why they may not have enough time to wrap this up.
To wit:
Let’s just say there is a deal by Tuesday. It likely takes until Thursday to get the legislative text into form. McCarthy insists he will adhere to the House’s “72 hour rule.” That allows Members to study and consider the bill. It also means the House may not even debate and vote on the bill until the coming weekend.
Therefore, the Senate may not even get the legislation until Monday, May 29th – Memorial Day. Even if the Senate is really humming, that could take until Wednesday, May 31st to wrap things up. But more likely, June 1 or 2.
And remember, this is the timeline if everything goes swimmingly.
But what we’ve left out of this analysis are the potential contours of a deal – to say nothing of what it takes to get the votes to pass such a package.
Here we go.
It’s about the math.
Mixing the cocktail of Republican and Democratic votes to pass a still theoretical bill through the House (and the Senate – we’ll get to that at some point) involves very precise, yet mysterious political alchemy. House Republicans have long talked about wanting a “a majority of the majority” to be in favor of any prospective package. That concept goes back decades with House Republicans. But this is 2023. Plus, McCarthy endured the longest Speaker’s race since 1859 to get the job.