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President Biden isn't doing well in the polls, even among his own voters. But never have those polls reflected reality less than this week. President Biden may be the oldest American president in U.S. history, but he's making a play for also being our most competent—and the American president who's racked up the most bipartisan victories in a single term.
With the debt ceiling deal he negotiated with Speaker of the House, Republican Congressman Kevin McCarthy, President Biden delivered a massive victory to Democrats as well as to the country overall—and he did so under the most threatening and dire circumstances. Republicans threatened to collapse the economy in order to achieve their budget and policy objectives. The President could have taken the precarious position of not negotiating with economic terrorists who threatened to cost our economy 8 million jobs, delay veteran's benefits and social security, and sink the stock market, sending shock waves across the globe and costing many Americans their retirement savings. Instead, he and his negotiators met with Speaker McCarthy and hammer out a deal that was acceptable to both sides.
Rather than use a constitutionally questionable mechanism buried in the 14th Amendment which would have possibly allowed Biden raise the debt limit without Congress, the President stuck it out with McCarthy. Biden promised to be a leader for all Americans and to work across the aisle and that's what he did. By not using the 14th Amendment, Biden gave the country another example of what it looks like when you're willing to work with those you disagree with. He showed us once again that he is a president, not a dictator.
Biden's biggest win in this negotiation was making sure we ended up with a two year deal so the threat of a default doesn't occur again in the middle of a presidential election. He also garnered $80 billion in funding for the IRS so their agents can enforce laws against wealthy tax cheats.
The IRS was one of the sticking points, drawing the most ire from Republicans. In fact, McCarthy and the House GOP passed a bill in January to rescind $80 billion earmarked for the IRS as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Many considered the bill political theater, since it was sure to die in the Senate, and yet, Biden was able to persuade McCarthy to agree to that very funding in the debt ceiling deal.
Perhaps most important of all, Medicaid was left untouched. Work requirements for SNAP were extended by four years, a major priority for the GOP and considered a snag in the early negotiations. But the President was also able to get McCarthy to agree to work exemptions for SNAP recipients who are homeless, military veterans, and young people who are aging out of the foster care system.
Under normal circumstances, this would be a win for Republicans, too. Speaker McCarthy was able to save the wealthy from being subject to new tax hikes and preserve the Trump tax cuts. The Speaker was able to assist the fossil fuel industry by hastening the environmental review process for licenses for new projects.
But these are not normal times. McCarthy's bipartisan efforts and fair negotiations are already being viewed as weakness by his far Right flank, and he might even face a motion to vacate the Speakership from the Freedom Caucus. Rep. Dan Bishop has already insisted that a motion to snatch the gavel from McCarthy "has to be done," while other Republicans have said that removing McCarthy is premature but certainly not off the table.
Biden and McCarthy were each able to get something for their respective parties while avoiding a catastrophic default. Yet Biden has emerged the winner, simply because Democrats in Congress are not angry at him for ultimately getting more than what they expected. The ordeal demonstrated President Biden's competence and the value of his experience.
McCarthy meanwhile will bear political ramifications for the deal. He will be criticized by the major GOP candidates for the presidential nomination. He could face ouster as Speaker of the House of Representatives. At the bare minimum, the Freedom Caucus will tighten the leash they have around McCarthy's neck.
The disarray Republicans are experiencing over this deal of course only helps Biden and Democrats in 2024. If Republicans cannot unify and agree on solutions in Congress, it will be a difficult for them to sell the idea that they can unify the nation and solve the country's problems moving forward.
Swing district Republican candidates will have to pick a side and either risk going against the presumptive nominee for president or alienating moderate Republican voters and independents. We could see a repeat of 2022, where the GOP picks hardline congressional candidates in the primary who lack the broad appeal to win the general election.
The Biden White House has struggled to communicate its wins. They need to fix their messaging ASAP. Winning the debt ceiling fight is among his top accomplishments.
Dr. Jason Nichols is an award winning senior lecturer in the African American Studies Department at the University of Maryland College Park and was the longtime editor-in-chief of Words Beats & Life: The Global Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
