Biden Deals with the Debt Ceiling (BTN #21)
Biden Tracking Newsletter #21 Day 846 (5/15) through Day 859 (5/28)
President Biden at a press conference on Sunday discussing the debt ceiling deal
This is the twenty-first edition of the Biden Tracking newsletter. This week we will focus on Biden’s debt ceiling deal that was announced on Saturday. Plus we will discuss the Biden Administration walking back claims that a drone strike killed an al-Quaeda leader, and the Biden Administration’s opposition to a federal court case that could declare the debt ceiling unconstitutional. Today is Monday, May 29th, 2023, day 860 of the Biden Presidency.
If you’re interested in learning more about topics in my newsletter, everything underlined contains a link to a news article that goes into further detail on the subject.
On Saturday, President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy agreed to a deal that will raise the debt ceiling and avoid the United States federal government defaulting on its debt. But to come to an agreement, Biden and McCarthy agreed to several other budget items as part of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. Not only will the act raise the debt ceiling, but it will also cut federal spending. We will get to the actual agreement in a second, but I want to note that the bill still needs to pass the House and the Senate. Several far-right Republican members of the Freedom Caucus have already said they oppose the bill, and progressive members of the House may oppose it too.
The agreement makes several changes to federal laws for TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and SNAP (formerly food stamps). Some changes are positive but, as you may have already read or seen online, there are some very significant negative changes too. For SNAP, the age exemption to 20 hours of required work has been raised to 55 (53 for next year only). Previously, everyone 50 or older did not have to work 20 hours to receive SNAP benefits. The bill also adds language to the original SNAP bill that reads that the purpose of SNAP is “to assist low-income adults in obtaining employment and increasing their earnings,” previously it read to “promote the general welfare, to safeguard the health and well-being.” But, the bill does entirely removes work requirements for the homeless, veterans, and children. The SNAP changes (both good and bad) end in 2030. The TANF changes are much more complex. One of the changes is that the Caseload Reduction Credit baseline was moved up to 2015, which will make it harder for states to cash in that credit. The bill also changes the minimum amount of TANF assistance needed for states to count individuals as a part of TANF in their calculations of meeting working requirements for federal funding. These changes are complex, but they likely make it harder for states to meet rigid federal requirements for TANF funds. In turn, states could make cuts to TANF. However, there are some good TANF changes, including a new pilot program that will allow 5 states to use more flexible “better work-related outcomes” requirements instead of the rigid “work participation rate” for added federal funding.
There are a few other notable things in this agreement. One is the codification of a requirement, until the end of 2024, that makes federal agencies write a letter to OMB every time they institute a rule that increases federal spending showing how they will make cuts to federal programs. What is especially notable is that the Biden Administration’s implementation of the rule cannot be subject to judicial review. The bill also expedites the approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (a favorite of Joe Manchin), codifies the end of the Student Loan Payment pause to be 60 days after June 30, codifies an $886,349,000,000 military budget for 2024 and an $895,212,000,000 military budget for 2025, and codifies $703,651,000,000 for other domestic spending for 2024 and $710,688,000,000 for other domestic spending for 2025.
To be honest, I feared that this deal was going to be way worse. I thought that cuts to SNAP and TANF were going to be far more wide-reaching. But even still, these cuts, as well as caps on domestic spending, did not have to happen. The Biden Administration made a major miscalculation and Republicans had far more leverage than they should have. The Biden Administration could have used the 14th Amendment or supported a court case that could rule the debt limit unconstitutional (more on that later). Instead, the Biden Admin negotiated with Republicans.
Tuesday, May 16th (Day 847)
Eric Adams was Dropped From President Biden’s Campaign Advisory Board
On Tuesday, May 16th, Axios reported that President Biden had dropped New York City Mayor Eric Adams from his Campaign Advisory Board, which includes Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Elizabeth Warren, Ro Khanna, and Chris Coons, among others. Adams was dropped, not because he is essentially a right-wing nut, but because he criticized the Biden Administration for not doing enough dealing with the U.S.-Mexico border. Eric Adams still plans on supporting Biden for president.
Thursday, May 18th (Day 849)
Michael Delaney Withdraws His Judicial Nomination
On Thursday, May 18th, Michael Delaney, President Biden’s nominee for the 1st Circuit Court, withdrew his name for consideration. Delaney’s nomination was controversial among Democrats. When Delaney was a Judge in New Hampshire, he signed a brief supporting a New Hampshire state law that required minors to tell their parents before they obtained an abortion. Even after Senator Feinstein returned to the Judiciary Committee, Delaney’s nomination was not brought to a vote.
The Biden Administration Walked Back Claims That Drone Strike Killed Al-Qaeda Leader
On Thursday, May 18th, the Washington Post reported that a May drone strike that the U.S. Military said killed an influential al-Qaeda figure, likely instead killed an innocent bricklayer tending to his sheep. The Washington Post interviewed several experts who said it was unlikely that the bricklayer was an influential al-Qaeda figure. According to the Washington Post, there is even doubt among senior Pentagon officials that the man was a terrorist and Central Command was widening an investigation into the strike. The Biden Administration said in 2022 that it would take steps to reduce civilian killings from airstrikes while promising greater transparency when unintended killings do occur. But the easiest way to stop these unintended civilian killings would be to cease such airstrikes.
Tuesday, May 23rd (Day 854)
On Wednesday, May 31st, a U.S. district court will hear arguments in a lawsuit brought by a federal employee union that claims adherence to the debt ceiling is unconstitutional. However, the Biden Administration, in court, is planning to oppose the case. If the union wins, the Biden Administration could avoid the deal, discussed above, that cuts domestic spending. Apparently, the Biden Administration doesn’t think that the case is a sufficient tool to fight against the Republicans' agenda.
Other News: