An increasing number of House Republicans are urging Speaker Kevin McCarthy not to ignore other demands, such as energy permitting, in his party’s opening offer for Democrats to raise the debt limit.
Many GOP lawmakers claim they have remained mum about how their party leaders should proceed with talks. However, many are now expressing their opinions on ways to address the fiscal crisis. According to interviews with about a dozen lawmakers, one idea that has been growing in popularity is to link the debt limit debate with the GOP’s proposal for speeding up energy permitting.
“I think permitting’s gotto be part of the discussion about the debt limit,” stated Rep. Gary Palmer (R.Ala.), who chairs and sits on McCarthy’s leadership team.
House Republicans see a lot of upside to attaching energy permitting and debt talks. They will also be guaranteed a policy win by pushing through a permitting bill. This is in addition to the fact that it has already attracted keen interest from Senator Joe Manchin (D.W.Va.), who is currently preparing for a brutal 2024 reelection campaign.
The largest group in the House GOP, the Republican Study Committee has gone further to support the move. The Republican Study Committee, the largest group of House Republicans, recently polled 175 members to find out their priorities regarding the debt talks. It found that energy permitting was the top priority.
Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), the leader of that group, stated in a short interview that “it has tons of momentum.” “That’s definitely pro-growth to keep jobs here, have less dependence on foreign governments, and don’t send any money elsewhere.
Most of the conference is working hard to publicly give McCarthy space as the California Republican tries to force President Joe Biden and the Democratic-controlled Senate to come to the table, with the deadline for raising the debt limit drawing ever closer. However, Republicans from the conference are keen to land one of the most important energy items in exchange for what many consider an inevitable political fact — that some of the group will vote later in the year to increase the country’s spending limit.
“This is the test to see if we are serious about becoming energy independent. When asked about the link between the GOP’s energy permit bill and its debt offer, Ralph Norman (Republican from South Carolina) said that he believed they would.
Norman said that it was unclear whether Democrats would be open to engaging, but that they “were gonna give the idea a shot.”
This idea offers a political advantage for GOP leadership. While there are many fiscal fights that divide House Republicans’ narrow majority of members, the idea to attach faster energy project approvals and debt talks creates rare unity between what the speaker refers to as the conference’s five families, from the conservative Freedom Caucus, to the moderate, business-oriented Main Street Caucus.
Rep. Dusty Johnson (R.S.D. When asked about the link between debt and permitting, Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.
McCarthy has not spoken publicly about the issue, but some members of his inner circle believe it to be a “real possibility,” according one GOP leader who spoke under anonymity. It’s not the only issue being discussed. Several lawmakers have also suggested other items, including work requirements and border restrictions.
Recent Freedom Caucus moves are one reason why more Republicans are interested in publicly speaking on their party’s bid to limit the debt limit. Many were surprised by the surprise announcement by the Donald Trump-aligned group at the conference this month, which included their own list of demands for the debt negotiations. This was the first official GOP marker in these talks.
Privately, some GOP lawmakers expressed dismay at McCarthy’s superiority over their colleagues, especially when it came to big policy questions.
Some Republicans are more skeptical than others, however, insisting that Republicans have the leverage they need to push through their permits. This is despite Democrats’ intense interest in this subject.
“I believe it should be more than that. “I think it can be done on its own, because there’s so much bipartisan support,” stated Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R.Tenn.).
Bruce Westerman, Republican of Arkansas, is Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee. He said that he heard more about the proposal but it was too early to know what the possibilities were.
“I believe everyone is looking at how we can use the debt limit to address the debt crisis. Westerman stated that we know that developing energy and mining in the U.S. would result in more revenue and more jobs.
Westerman said that he believes the permitting push could help with the debt crisis through increasing revenue and creating jobs: “I believe it’s real because it’s being talked about. But will it be the thing about the debt limit?
Olivia Beavers contributed this report.
