Kevin McCarthy is playing a dangerous game
While House Republicans ran on fixing inflation – something they blamed on the Democrats – their only plan with the new majority would make inflation worse – while also worsening taxes for much of the country, all in order to give another tax cut to their wealthy donors. They’ll gladly sell out the economy if it means making good on this promise to donors – and they have no qualms about cutting Social Security either. President Biden has already come out swinging on this subject – warning that any cuts to Social Security would be a non-starter in negotiations.
Despite warnings that Republicans might use the debt ceiling to shut down the economy and get what they want, President Biden has another plan – and it involves leaving Speaker McCarthy out of the loop entirely. There’s a slight majority of Republicans in the House so the White House is currently seeking out a few moderates (the president only needs five) to vote with the Democrats on the new budget.
In a way, this works to McCarthy’s advantage because then he’s able to deflect any blame for the House reaching a deal that won’t be enough for the crazies in his base. The Republicans being sought out by the administration are ones who won Biden +10 districts, and are therefore vulnerable in 2024 – meaning McCarthy will have little leverage over what they can do when their primary focus is getting re-elected. Despite having the majority, McCarthy is hardly in position to call the shots.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making