Can McConnell Derail Biden With Bad-Faith Debt Limit Chaos?

October 5, 2021
LOUISVILLE, KY - FEBRUARY 12: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (right) (R-KY) and U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wait on the stage together at the University of Louisville's McConnell Center where Schumer was scheduled to speak February 12, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. Sen. Schumer spoke at the event as part of the Center's Distinguished Speaker Series, and Sen. McConnell introduced him. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wait on the stage together at the University of Louisville's McConnell Center on February 12, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky... Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wait on the stage together at the University of Louisville's McConnell Center on February 12, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images) MORE LESS
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October 5, 2021

Democrats are ready to tear their hair out as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) staunchly refuses to let them raise the debt ceiling in a blatantly political ploy to sow chaos in their efforts to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill (BIF) and the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill containing Biden’s sweeping agenda for social benefit expansions.

At the same time, President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders are grappling with Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema’s (D-AZ) opposition to reconciliation, and negotiations are ongoing.

Follow our live coverage below:

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Democrats are ready to tear their hair out as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) staunchly refuses to let them raise the debt ceiling in a blatantly political ploy to sow chaos in their efforts to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill (BIF) and the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill containing Biden’s sweeping agenda for social benefit expansions.

At the same time, President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders are grappling with Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema’s (D-AZ) opposition to reconciliation, and negotiations are ongoing.

Follow our live coverage below:

Notable Replies

  1. Not without the LiBeRaL MeDiA

  2. Avatar for brumby brumby says:

    Only good news I that we should soon see Sinema’s funders order her to change her mind on a filibuster carve out to avoid economic catastrophe.

  3. If the media doesn’t go all batsht about how STRONG Mitch is and how SMART the Republicans are and how much BETTER the GOP is at messaging, maybe THIS time we can show the public that we are paying for past bills…so in REALITY they are paying for the massive giveaway to the wealthy. How are you feeling NOW, sheep? All you tax dollars are NOT building roads and libraries…they are lining the pockets of the space raiders…

  4. Game theory states that to win a game of chicken one driver must throw the steering wheel out the window so that the other driver sees that the choice is between one player’s losing and both players dying. The fear here is that McConnell has done just that, along with his GOP enablers (like Susan Collins, who will vote the raise the debt ceiling if, and only if, Biden drops the human infrastructure package in its entirety).

    Perhaps Biden also needs to throw his steering wheel out the window, so that the choice is between both stopping and both dying (also known as mutually assured destruction).

  5. Biden called it already and McConnell clearly agrees: there are two people who can change this dynamic, Manchin and Sinema.

    I myself have little confidence either have the integrity or self-awareness to do what must be done; all I can do is hope.

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