When asked if a deal had been reached in the ongoing debate about the reduction of the national debt, Senator Mitch McConnell (Republican from Kentucky) gave a thumbs-up. Astrid Ricken/Getty Images
Donald Trump, former President, has voiced his disapproval at raising the debt ceiling.
However, 11 GOP senators helped Democrats pass a procedural vote which opened the door to final passage.
Trump's influence is less in the Senate than it is in the House.
Just minutes before the vote started, former President Donald Trump called on Senate Republicans to oppose raising debt ceiling. However, 11 GOP senators, including the top Republican in the upper chamber, ignored Trump's comments and helped Democrats overcome a procedural hurdle in a deadlocked Senate. The bill was passed in the end.
"Republican Senators: Do not vote for the terrible deal being pushed through folding Mitch McConnell. Stand up for your Country. The American people will stand with you." The former president gave his advice.
Eleven GOP senators assisted Democrats in clearing an initial procedural vote to end debate and to break the 60-vote threshold required to defeat a filibuster. This allowed the measure to be passed with just Democratic votes.
Sens. Sens. The bill passed the cloture vote with a vote of 61 to 38. It was then voted on by 50 votes according to party lines.
Trump's influence in the Senate is less than that of the House. However, he has a large sway among Republican legislators. In spite of President Joe Biden's demands that they kill the $550 billion infrastructure bill, 19 Republican senators supported it in the summer. However, this doesn't mean that he has no influence in Congress.
Reporters were told by Sen. Kevin Cramer from North Dakota that Donald Trump "always influences people's vote whether he says or not."
Continue the story
The Senate Republicans were upset by McConnell's move on Thursday and struggled to gather 10 votes to pass the first procedural vote known as Cloture. The government would not default if the debt ceiling was raised. Thursday's agreement allows for an increase of $480 billion until December 3.
The debt ceiling is the limit imposed by law on the amount of money the government can borrow in order to pay its bills. The US can suspend the debt ceiling to give it more time to pay its bills. This includes the bill for pandemic stimulation and other important aid programs. The government could default on its debt if Congress fails to increase the limit and the US could be plunged into another economic crisis.
Murkowski stated to reporters that they had avoided the fiscal cliff, at least for the moment.
Business Insider has the original article.
