BREAKING: US Senate Passes Debt Ceiling Bill

Less than 24 hours after the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan debt ceiling deal between House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and President Joe Biden, the U.S. Senate has now passed its own version of the bill.

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Reuters:

WASHINGTON, June 1 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed bipartisan legislation backed by President Joe Biden that lifts the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, averting what would have been a first-ever default.

The Senate voted 63-36 to approve the bill that was passed on Wednesday by the House of Representatives, as lawmakers raced against the clock following months of partisan bickering between Democrats and Republicans.

Both Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and President Joe Biden reacted to the bill’s passage:

“We are avoiding default tonight,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday as he steered the legislation through his 100-member chamber. […]

“America can breathe a sigh of relief,” Schumer said in remarks to the Senate.[…]

Biden praised Congress’ timely action. “This bipartisan agreement is a big win for our economy and the American people,” the Democratic president said in a statement, adding that he will sign it into law as soon as possible. He said he would make an additional statement on Friday.

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) also released a statement (the full text is here):

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Some Republicans attempted to bring up amendments, but all were shot down:

Republican Senator Roger Marshall offered an amendment to impose new border controls as high numbers of immigrants arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border. His measure, he said, would “put an end to the culture of lawlessness at our southern border.”

The Senate defeated the amendment, however. Democrats said it would strip away protections for child migrants and rob American farmers of needed workers.

Some Republicans also wanted to beef up defense spending beyond the increased levels contained in the House-passed bill.

In response, Schumer said the spending caps in this legislation would not constrain Congress in approving additional money for emergencies, including helping Ukraine in its battle against Russia.

As this is a breaking story, RedState will provide further updates as they become available.

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