President Mike Johnson wants debt ceiling increase in budget package, but doesn’t want help from Democrats

House Speaker Mike Johnson wants to include one of President-elect Donald Trump’s top priorities in a massive border and tax bill, a debt ceiling hike that will be difficult to implement. get Republican support.

Mr. Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, told reporters at the Republican Party’s weekly news conference Monday that he “intends” to include an increase in the nation’s debt ceiling in the budget reconciliation process , the legislative vehicle on which much of Mr. Trump’s agenda will unfold. live.

Lawmakers could try to address the debt ceiling in a separate bill, as Congress did in 2023 when former President Kevin McCarthy and President Biden reached a deal to extend the debt ceiling until this year, but Mr. Johnson argued that “the party in charge of both houses” addressing the debt ceiling as part of a reconciliation would allow the Republican Party to craft a plan without the Democrats.

“We think we are better placed to do it ourselves,” Mr. Johnson said.

But broaching the issue will be tricky for the speaker, as many debt hawks and members of the House Freedom Caucus were initially opposed to the idea of ​​adding trillions to the national debt without sharply cutting spending.

Indeed, 38 Republicans rejected the initial idea of ​​extending the debt ceiling for two years, which was part of a lighter extension of government funding presented last month.

After that bill failed, House Republicans and top Trump advisers agreed to an interim plan to use the reconciliation process to raise the $1.5 trillion debt ceiling. dollars while cutting spending by $2.5 trillion, but Mr Johnson noted the “final number” was not yet known. be discussed since this handshake agreement.

The speaker called the debt ceiling issue one of the most important issues facing this Congress and argued that with a winning trio in Washington, the Republican Party’s mission is to “reduce the size and the reach of government” and “reduce spending significantly”. that it was crucial to tackle the debt ceiling.

“Raising the debt ceiling is a necessary step so that we don’t feel like we’re going to somehow default on the country’s debt,” he said. “But this does not mean that we have any intention or will tolerate spending up to the new debt ceiling; the idea is to do the exact opposite.