Democrats seek unlikely debt ceiling savior: Mitch McConnell

Published

2 years ago

May 25, 2023

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With time running short and the danger of a national default growing, Democrats are hoping an unlikely savior will come to the rescue: Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.).

Democratic lawmakers say McConnell and other Senate Republicans are fooling themselves if they think Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is in a position to reach a debt ceiling deal with President Biden.

They believe McCarthy is under tremendous pressure not to agree to any deal Democrats would accept because the House rules allow for one disappointed conservative to offer a motion to vacate the Speaker’s chair.

“Senate Republicans are putting their heads in the sand if they think that the extremists in their party will have a change of heart,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar (Calif.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, to reporters earlier this month.

“If Kevin McCarthy is forced to choose between holding power in his Speakership or taking us closer to default, we know he’s going to choose default. The American people know that as well. House Republicans are on a path toward default. The question before us is will Senate Republicans take the wheel?” he said. Close Thank you for signing up!

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Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), a leader of House progressives, has joined the growing chorus of Democrats pleading for McConnell to get involved.

“I think time is starting to run out,” Jayapal warned. “I think Wall Street should be weighing in.”

She told reporters that “reasonable Republicans” and McConnell need “to get involved and get people to understand that default on America would be terrible,” according to Punchbowl News.

Philip Wallach, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, said McConnell has remained in the background in deference to the new GOP Speaker. But that could change, he added, if an agreement remains elusive and the threat of default creeps closer.

“I think he’s trying to give McCarthy room to operate. And that’s professional courtesy and good partisan strategy,” Wallach said. “I don’t think that it necessarily means that he won’t be a big part of the final solution.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) this week demonstrated why Democrats are nervous, saying his conservative colleagues “don’t feel like we should negotiate with our hostage,” and that “the one-person motion to vacate has given us the best version of Speaker McCarthy.”

But McConnell’s allies say Aguilar and Jayapal are misguided if they think the Senate GOP leader will override McCarthy.

“I don’t think Mitch is going to get in the way of the Speaker because he knows if he does, that will undermine the Speaker’s ability to retain the Speakership. So until the president and the Speaker reach an agreement, I don’t see McConnell getting into the room,” said former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), who once served on McConnell’s Senate leadership team.

Gregg argued that if McConnell cuts a deal with Biden instead of McCarthy, the deal would have a harder time passing the GOP-controlled House.

“It would mean that the Speaker would have an even harder time selling whatever was agreed to to his caucus,” he said.

Gregg said Democrats are calling for McConnell’s help in an effort to portray McCarthy as an unreasonable negotiator.

“It’s politics,” he said. “They want to blame this on the Speaker.”

Jayapal’s comments caught the attention of some Senate Republican aides because the outspoken liberal leader is more likely to be quoted criticizing McConnell than beseeching his help.

But McConnell has his own right flank to worry about after Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) challenged his leadership position in November. McConnell won the race 36-10, but Senate conservatives sent a message that they weren’t happy with the direction of the GOP conference.

Conservative senators were caught off guard when McConnell proposed in fall 2021 that Democrats could move legislation to raise the debt limit without having to face a GOP filibuster.

McConnell said at the time he made the offer so Democrats would fully own the decision to add hundreds of billions of dollars to the debt.

“Democrats are simply voicing their expectations for something that already happened in the past to happen again,” one Senate Republican aide said of the calls by Aguilar and Jayapal to get involved in the debt limit talks.

The GOP aide noted McConnell initially took a hard line against raising the debt limit while Biden was in office, sending a letter to the president warning, “I will not be a party to any future effort to mitigate the consequences of Democratic mismanagement,” and that Democratic leaders “cannot invent another crisis and ask for my help.”

“I get that McConnell doesn’t want to be the main guy in this fight,” the aide said. “But Jayapal wouldn’t be calling on somebody to get involved unless she thought that person would push for a clean debt ceiling hike, because that’s her position.”

McConnell has warned repeatedly this year that he will stay out of the debt limit negotiations entirely.

He told The Wall Street Journal in an interview last week he agreed in January that McCarthy would be the Republican point person in the negotiations.

“The two of us agreed from the beginning that it was important for him to take the lead,” he said.

Yet, Senate Democrats are also rooting for McConnell to step in to prevent a default, which appears more possible with each passing day as Biden and McCarthy remain far apart on a potential deal.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told reporters earlier this month he felt “slightly better” about avoiding a fiscal catastrophe after McConnell declared “the United States is not going to default, it never has and it never will.”

McConnell made those comments outside the White House after a meeting with Biden and McCarthy.

The Senate GOP leader tried to reassure the media and the financial markets again Tuesday and emphasized it would be up to the president and Speaker, not himself, to work out a deal.

“I think everybody needs to relax,” McConnell told reporters in Kentucky.

“Regardless of what may be said about the talks … the president and the Speaker will reach an agreement. It will ultimately pass on a bipartisan vote in both the House and the Senate,” he said. “The country will not default.”

McConnell himself has argued any debt limit deal reached in the Senate wouldn’t have a chance of passing the GOP-controlled House. Bipartisan senators call for probe into reports of price gouging by defense contractors Connecticut has issued 521 X gender marker driver’s licenses since 2020

Yet, Democrats are betting that McConnell will be forced to intervene at the last moment once the nation is on the brink of default, threatening chaos in the financial markets and a recession — just as he did most famously in summer 2011 when then-President Obama and then-Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) were at loggerheads over raising the debt limit.

“I understand the convenience of passing the buck in this building, but in the end, Sen. McConnell always has his own opinion,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told The Hill earlier this month. “He doesn’t outsource his opinions and votes to Speaker McCarthy.”

Mike Lillis contributed.

Politics

Refugee status set to become temporary in radical asylum reforms

Published

2 hours ago

November 15, 2025

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Refugee status set to become temporary in radical asylum reforms

People granted asylum in the UK will only be allowed to stay in the country temporarily, in sweeping reforms expected to be announced on Monday.

Modelled on the Danish system, the aim is to make the UK less attractive for illegal immigrants and make it easier to deport them.

Planned changes mean that refugee status will become temporary and subject to regular review, with refugees removed as soon as their home countries are deemed safe.

Under current UK rules, those granted refugee status have it for five years and can then apply for indefinite leave to remain and get on a route to citizenship.

In a social media video trailing her announcement, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “We will always be a country that gives sanctuary to people who are fleeing danger, but we must restore order and control.”

She called it “the most significant changes to our asylum system in modern times”.

An ally of the home secretary said: “Today, becoming a refugee equals a lifetime of protection in Britain.

“Mahmood will change that, making refugee status temporary and subject to regular review. The moment your home country is safe to return to, you will be removed.

“While this might seem like a small technical shift, this new settlement marks the most significant shift in the treatment of refugees since the Second World War.”

Time and money ‘wasted’ on Rwanda scheme

While the number of asylum claims across Europe has fallen, numbers in Britain have risen.

Ms Mahmood said the previous government had had “years to tackle this problem” but had “wasted” time and money on the £700m Rwanda scheme.

Some 39,075 people have arrived in the UK after making the journey across the Channel so far this year, according to the latest Home Office figures.

That is an increase of 19% on the same point in 2024 and up 43% on 2023, but remains 5% lower than at the equivalent point in 2022, which remains the peak year for crossings.

Other changes expected to be announced on Monday include requiring judges to prioritise public safety over migrants’ rights to a family life, or the risk that they will face “inhuman” treatment if returned to their home country, the Telegraph has reported.

Denmark’s tighter rules on family reunions are also being looked at.

What are Denmark’s migration rules?

Denmark has adopted increasingly restrictive rules in order to deal with migration over the last few years.

In Denmark, most asylum or refugee statuses are temporary. Residency can be revoked once a country is deemed safe.

In order to achieve settlement, asylum seekers are required to be in full-time employment, and the length of time it takes to acquire those rights has been extended.

Denmark also has tougher rules on family reunification – both the sponsor and their partner are required to be at least 24 years old, which the Danish government says is designed to prevent forced marriages.

The sponsor must also not have claimed welfare for three years and must provide a financial guarantee for their partner. Both must also pass a Danish language test.

In 2018, Denmark introduced what it called a ghetto package, a controversial plan to radically alter some residential areas, including by demolishing social housing. Areas with over 1,000 residents were defined as ghettos if more than 50% were “immigrants and their descendants from non-Western countries”.

In 2021, the left of centre government passed a law that allowed refugees arriving on Danish soil to be moved to asylum centres in a partner country – and subsequently agreed with Rwanda to explore setting up a program, although that has been put on hold.

Changes will prevent refugees from ‘integrating into British life’

While some research has suggested that deterrence policies have little impact on asylum seekers’ choice of destination, but a 2017 study said Denmark’s “negative nation branding” had proved effective in limiting asylum applications.

The number of successful asylum claims has fallen to a 40-year low in Denmark, with 95% of failed asylum seekers deported from the country.

But some believe the changes could damage future generations seeking a haven from war, persecution and violence.

Enver Solomon, chief executive of Refugee Council, said: “These sweeping changes will not deter people from making dangerous crossings, but they will unfairly prevent men, women and children from putting down roots and integrating into British life.

“Refugee status represents safety from the conflict and persecution that people have fled.

“When refugees are not stuck in limbo, they feel a greater sense of belonging, as full members of their new communities with a stable future for themselves, their children and generations to come.

“We urge the government to rethink these highly impractical plans, which will also add to the backlog and chaos that the Home Office is tackling.

“Instead, they should ensure that refugees who work hard and contribute to Britain can build secure, settled lives and give back to their communities.”

Shabana Mahmood will be appearing on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips from 8.30am tomorrow.

World

Former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Epstein files ‘sent him over the edge’

Published

2 hours ago

November 15, 2025

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Former Trump ally Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Epstein files 'sent him over the edge'

It is an earthquake for the MAGA ecosystem.

Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene were a formidable alliance on the Republican Party’s hard-right flank.

For years, the congresswoman for Georgia embodied the combative, conspiracy-tinged politics that define Trump’s presidency.

She called him “the father of the America First movement,” campaigned to be his running mate, and was quick to defend him.

“David Cameron can kiss my ass,” she told Sky News when asked about the former UK Prime Minister’s concerns about US fading support for Ukraine.

Door-stepped by my colleague Martha Kelner, she said: “We don’t give a crap about your country or your reporting.

“The Trump administration is doing a great job and I stand by their statements,” she added.

“I’m thankful to President Trump that he is leading us out of wars.”

Watch Sky’s Martha Kelner’s encounter with Taylor Greene from earlier this year…

But in recent months, she had expressed concerns about Trump’s involvement in the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere.

It escalated when she stood with victims of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to demand justice and joined Democrats in demanding a vote on the release of all files.

Just days ago, President Trump told reporters Taylor Greene had “lost her way”, but something triggered a war of words late on Friday.

The president had taken questions on Air Force One, with two reporters citing Taylor Green’s demand that the files be released.

Moments later, President Trump posted on Truth Social that he was withdrawing his endorsement of the congresswoman.

He branded her a “ranting lunatic”, “wacky Marjorie”, and said all she ever does is “COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN, COMPLAIN.”

Her reply came very quickly, in a post claiming she had sent the president text messages about Jeffrey Epstein.

“Apparently this is what sent him over the edge. The Epstein Files,” she posted.

She accused him of “coming after” her to “scare all the other Republicans” before next week’s vote to release the Epstein files.

“It’s astonishing how hard he’s fighting to stop the Epstein files from coming out that he actually goes to this level,” she added.

For years, they were joined at the hip – Trump the movement’s figurehead, Taylor Greene its megaphone – but it has now descended into open hostility.

Epstein, the story that won’t go away, has just cost Trump one of his most loyal allies, and rocked the internal dynamics of his political movement.

Environment

Rivian’s ALSO announces lower $3,500 price for it’s fancy new e-bike

Published

2 hours ago

November 15, 2025

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Rivian's ALSO announces lower ,500 price for it's fancy new e-bike

ALSO, the electric bike spin-off from EV-maker Rivian, just dropped some welcome news: a more affordable version of the bike is coming. Officially called the TM-B, the new model will launch at $3,500, coming in a full $1,000 under the previously announced $4,500 TM-B Performance we saw last month.

While the Performance model leaned heavily into premium components and higher output, the new TM-B appears designed to bring the platform’s eye-catching design to a wider audience.

The TM-B includes much of the same design and basic feature set as the TM-B Performance, though the $1,000 lower price tag does come from the company filet-ing a few corners. The bike drops from the 10x assist of the Performance edition to just 5x assist (presumably meaning half the power, but it’s hard to say since e-bike companies generally don’t list power as a multiple of rider input). It also has a smaller battery, more basic coil spring shock instead of the nicer and lighter air shock, fewer ride modes, and doesn’t come with the same premium styling options.

The bike does retain ALSO’s interesting drive-by-wire solution though, which means that there isn’t a physical connection between the pedals and the bike. Instead, riders turn pedal cranks connected to a generator that converts pedaling energy into electrical energy to feed the rear wheel through a Gates carbon belt drive.

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Hydraulic disc brakes along with ABS-braking come standard on both models, and the cockpit includes a compact color display with app connectivity, offering basic ride metrics and configurable assist modes.

ALSO hasn’t committed to an exact delivery date, but reservations are now open.

Electrek’s Take

A $3,500 entry point is undeniably better news for fans of ALSO’s design language who weren’t ready to shell out $4,500. However, I still seem to be one of the few in the industry who are hesitant to believe there is a path to profitability here. Americans don’t buy $4,500 e-bikes, at least not in high volume, and they don’t really buy $3,500 e-bikes, either.

It’s not that the bike isn’t worth it – ALSO’s engineers should be commended for stuffing a crazy amount of tech and innovation into this bike. But it simply won’t matter when the bike doesn’t sell very many units and ALSO has to keep making payroll on its huge workforce comprised of many expensive engineers and other tech roles. It’s very close to the same playbook that we watched sink other tech-forward e-bike companies like VanMoof, which went bankrupt after it couldn’t keep up with servicing its expensive and proprietary e-bike tech while trying to float a massive workforce.

Frankly, I’m a bit confused. Most basic e-bike media seems to be going nuts over the thing, and I’m the only one pointing out that the king appears to be walking around naked.

Also, the timing here is… odd.

Good news usually gets announced on a Tuesday morning, not sent to us at 4:56 PM on a Friday, right as everyone logs off and heads into the weekend. The classic “Friday news dump” is where companies hide things they don’t want attention on – not where they brag about slicing $1,000 off the entry price of a new model. A head scratcher all around.

Either way, a lower-priced TM-B is objectively good news. The problem is, it might just be shouting into the wind.