WASHINGTON — Political calculations and concerns about legislative precedent within Congress and the White House have brought the government within a week of potentially failing to pay all of its debt obligations.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy, nearly five months on the job as the top House leader, is trying to maintain the good will he has fostered among his conference, particularly conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus who wouldn’t hesitate to push the California Republican out if they feel he betrayed them.
President Joe Biden wants to keep Democratic lawmakers and their constituencies happy ahead of his 2024 reelection bid, while also seeking to portray himself as a fair dealmaker to independents that he needs to win a second term.
