How Unorthodox Lawmaking Was Used to Raise the Debt Limit

Source: Congress.gov.

Democrats held the presidency and Senate, Republicans had a narrow Hosue majority. The nation’s debt limit needed raised lest the country default and risk setting off a worldwide economic crisis. But the House GOP had taken a strong position against raising the limit.

So how did a deal get made?

Answer: Through some clever legislative procedure. George Washington University professor and Brookings schoolar, Sarah Binder, explains:

“The deal amounts to a one-time, temporary ban on filibustering a resolution to raise the debt limit. To do that, they’re using a decades-old Senate practice: Enact a law that allows expedited treatment of another bill, protecting the latter from a filibuster….” (Read more)