After some last-minute overnight bartering, House Republicans have passed their plan to raise the nation’s borrowing limit while also cutting spending.

The bill drew support from all of New York’s GOP lawmakers, including those in districts President Joe Biden would have won in 2020. Democrats now see political opportunity, and are starting to pounce.


What You Need To Know

  • The House GOP bill includes provisions blocking President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness proposal, repealing certain clean energy tax breaks pushed through by Biden, recapturing unused COVID-19 relief dollars and expanding work requirements for food stamps and Medicaid

  • The bill drew support from all of New York’s GOP lawmakers, including those in districts Biden would have won in 2020

  • Democrats are looking to squeeze the Republicans in swing districts who voted for this bill, including those in New York’s Hudson Valley and on Long Island

  • The White House released an analysis, warning the work reporting requirements for Medicaid could put health coverage in jeopardy for more than 2 million New Yorkers

The legislation, which serves as an opening salvo from House Republicans in the fight over the debt limit, cuts more than $4 trillion in spending over a decade.

It includes provisions blocking Biden’s student loan forgiveness proposal, repealing certain clean energy tax breaks pushed through by Biden, recapturing unused COVID-19 relief dollars and expanding work requirements for food stamps and Medicaid.

“We cannot continue to print new money and borrow at these levels, and so what we’re doing is putting a marker down,” said Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican who represents a Hudson Valley district just north of New York City.

Lawler voted for the GOP debt limit legislation.

Although the plan is dead on arrival in the Democrat-led Senate, Republicans argue it could help get Biden to the negotiating table.

“The president has just ignored the opportunity to sit down, negotiate and have a conversation with our leadership,” Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, a Nassau County Republican, told Fox Business earlier this week.

Democrats, meanwhile, are looking to squeeze the Republicans in swing districts who voted for this bill, including those in New York’s Hudson Valley and on Long Island.

The campaign arm of House Democrats, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, released statements attacking those Republicans, pointing to an analysis by the Wall Street firm Moody’s that suggests the GOP plan could lead to nearly 800,000 fewer jobs by the end of next year compared to a clean debt limit increase.

Across New York, Reps. Lawler, D’Esposito, Nick LaLota, Marc Molinaro, George Santos and Brandon Williams all represent districts Biden would have won in 2020, according to data compiled by Redistricting and You.

The White House is out with its own numbers, warning the work reporting requirements for Medicaid could put health coverage in jeopardy for more than 2 million New Yorkers, including hundreds of thousands across those swing congressional districts.

Lawler, for his part, dismissed the criticisms from the DCCC and defended the work requirements.

“This is not penalizing anybody. It’s saying, ‘Hey, we’ve got to get people back to work. We’ve got to get moving again.’ And it's focused on what we can do to limit spending, save taxpayer money and grow the economy,” Lawler said.

In a statement, LaLota said the bill "is a reasonable start to put our nation back on a path to economic prosperity and ensures our children have as many economic opportunities as we have had."

The deadline to avoid default is fast approaching, possibly as early as June. Biden wants Congress to lift the debt ceiling without cuts.