Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s had a rough time as of late. But he’s got a new problem on his hands.
Because Chuck Schumer’s been rocked by two massive betrayals he never saw coming.
Although Democrats and the White House are pushing for an agreement to raise the limit without negotiations, Republicans may be able to win the battle over the debt ceiling with the help of Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ).
Both senators are asking for negotiations in defiance of their party’s caucus, which may halt Democratic pressure on the House to support a debt ceiling deal without conditions.
Manchin has urged President Joe Biden to hold talks with the Republican Party and other legislative leaders and expressed hope that the parties will meet as scheduled next week.
Manchin said in a statement on Monday that he hoped President Biden’s invitation to Congressional leaders was sincere and that he was truly eager to discuss. “The country cannot afford a failed negotiation,” Manchin added.
“Every day without action brings the American government closer to default and the American people closer to economic chaos. I urge President Biden to show true leadership and finally put politics aside and the well-being of our nation first.”
The West Virginia Democrat also disclosed to Politico that he had informed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) that there were “things I don’t like in there, but there’s a lot of things we can agree on” with relation to the debt ceiling bill voted in the House.
Sinema, who left the Democratic Party in December 2022, has urged both parties to engage in light of the approaching debt ceiling deadline.
Sinema told the publication that “both sides need to come together, put down the partisan talking points, and discuss realistic solutions to prevent default.”
Politico claims that the independent senator from Arizona “quietly dined” with McCarthy and expressed a desire to reach an understanding with Republican senators.
Both Manchin and Sinema will have challenging reelection campaigns in 2024 for their Senate seats, but neither has openly declared that they will run for another term in the upper house of Congress.
If Manchin decides to run for reelection in the highly Republican state, he’ll likely have to take on popular Gov. Jim Justice (R-WV). With a 66% favorable rating compared to Manchin’s 38%, research indicates Justice has a huge lead over the sitting senator in public opinion.
By opposing several of the president’s latest plans, the West Virginia Democrat has established himself against Biden, who is extremely controversial in the Mountain State.
Manchin has firmly opposed a proposal that would stop tariffs on Chinese solar panel producers, stating that he “cannot fathom why the Administration and Congress would consider extending” dependence on China.
He has also criticized Biden for how his administration has applied the Inflation Reduction Act, for which he was a crucial vote, and has threatened to vote to abolish it if it is used to support “its radical climate agenda.”
If Sinema decides to run for reelection, there will likely be three candidates, including Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) on her left and a Republican to her right.
The United States is scheduled to default on its debt commitments on June 1 according to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, leaving a brief opportunity to raise the debt ceiling. On May 9, Biden and McCarthy will meet with leaders of Congress from both parties to talk about the debt ceiling.
Chuck Schumer and the Democrats were touting their major “win” during the 2022 midterm season when they ended up with an extra seat in the Senate after all was said and done.
But that doesn’t change the fact that their policies are toxic and even the Democrats in the Senate aren’t able to defend them.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
