Dusty Johnson claims only the ‘most vibrant conservatives’ are against the agreement.

Debt Ceiling Deal: Key Player Downplays Conservative Opposition

A key player in debt ceiling deliberations downplayed conservative opposition to the newly announced framework deal.

Rep. Dusty Johnson Hails Agreement as a “Big Get” for Republicans

Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SC), a key participant in negotiations, is optimistic about the newly announced debt ceiling deal. He hailed the agreement, particularly provisions on spending, as a “big get” for Republicans that didn’t give Democrats any major wins.

“Listen, there will be Freedom Caucus people who vote for this package. So when you’re saying that conservatives have concerns, it is really the most colorful conservatives. Some of those guys you mentioned didn’t vote for the thing when it was kind of a Republican wishlist — Limit, Save Grow. Those votes were never really in play,” Johnson told CNN’s State of the Union.

“Overwhelmingly, Republicans in this conference are going to support the deal. How could they not — it is a fantastic deal,” he added.

Some Republicans Remain Opposed

Four House Republicans — Reps. Tim Burchett (R-TN), Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and Ken Buck (R-CO) — voted against the Limit, Save Grow Act, Republicans’ initial offering in the debt ceiling row, which was passed by the House last month. Some of them have already come out in opposition, such as Buck.

“I listened to Speaker McCarthy earlier tonight outline the deal with President Biden and I am appalled by the debt ceiling surrender. The bottom line is that the U.S. will have $35 trillion of debt in January, 2025. That is completely unacceptable,” Buck tweeted.

Johnson Optimistic GOP Can Pass the Deal

Still, Johnson was optimistic the GOP can wrangle the legislation through. “We’re starting the whipping process. Now. I have talked to maybe between two and three dozen Republican members. I have not really had a single one of them tell me, ‘I can’t support that,'” he said.

Democrats Lack Major Wins in the Deal

Johnson also echoed McCarthy in underscoring that Democrats lacked major wins in the deal. “That is kind of the amazing part to me. There were no wins for Democrats,” he said. “There is nothing after the passage of this bill that will be more liberal or more progressive than it is today. It’s a remarkable conservative accomplishment.”

Final Passage May Require Democratic Support

Given the GOP’s narrow 222 to 213 majority in the House, the party will likely lean on Democratic support to lock down the final passage of the debt ceiling agreement. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently pushed back her soft deadline for securing a debt limit hike until June 5.

Once the final text comes out, McCarthy plans to make good on his commitment to giving members 72 hours to comb through the legislation. Republican leadership is reportedly expecting as many as 40 members of their conference to balk when it comes up for a vote.

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