House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) announced that the Democrats had filed a “special rule” that could eventually allow them to bypass Republican leaders and bring their own debt ceiling increase bill up for a vote as the default deadline draws closer.
A discharge petition is a signed demand that must receive signatures from the majority of House members. If that occurs, it can force floor consideration of a bill without having to go through leadership. The use of a discharge petition is rarely successful, but it is a way for House members to go around leadership and bring a bill to the floor for a vote. For this petition to be successful, the Democrats would need the signatures of at least five House Republicans.
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“A dangerous default is not an option. Making sure that America pays its bills — and not the extreme ransom note demanded by Republicans — is the only responsible course of action,” Jeffries said Tuesday in a letter to his Democratic colleagues. “[T]he filing of a debt ceiling measure to be brought up on the discharge calendar preserves an important option.”
The measure, titled “The Breaking Gridlock Act,” was introduced by Rep. Mark DeSaulnier (R-CA) back in January in anticipation of stalled negotiations on raising the debt ceiling, Jeffries said. Democrats want to lift the debt ceiling but avoid spending cuts. If the petition is successful, Democrats can bring DeSaulnier’s bill to the floor, amend it with their own debt ceiling increase proposal, and vote on it.
Signatures for the discharge petition can be gathered starting on May 16, the Wall Street Journal reported.
On Monday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that the United States could default as early as June.
“Given yesterday’s announcement by the Treasury Department, Ranking Member Jim McGovern has just filed a special rule that would allow for Floor consideration of a bipartisan measure to avoid a dangerous default,” the New York Democrat said in the letter.
Last week, Republicans passed the “Limit Save Grow Act,” which raised the debt ceiling but made major spending cuts and policy changes that Democrats in Congress and President Joe Biden have said are nonstarters. Even though the legislation is unlikely to become, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and some members of his caucus won’t support raising the debt ceiling without these cuts.
Democrats are now hoping Republicans will join them in supporting their plan instead.
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“It is now time for MAGA Republicans to act in a bipartisan manner to pay America’s bills without extreme conditions,” the New York congressman said in the letter.
McCarthy is scheduled to meet with Biden on May 9 to negotiate on the debt limit.