Senators Strike Deal for Swift Passage of Bill to Avert US Default
- Lawmakers agreed to debate amendments expected to fail
- Schumer says Senate could bypass spending caps in emergencies
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Senators reached a deal to expedite passage late Thursday of a debt-ceiling agreement forged by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as a June 5 deadline for a destabilizing US default approaches.
The agreement allows senators to offer 11 amendments to the bill, all of which are expected to fail but nonetheless force brief debate and a vote. It also includes a statement from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that the Senate could bypass the budget caps via emergency spending for both defense and domestic priorities, though the House would have to agree to do so.