US House of Representatives vote ‘yes’ on debt-ceiling deal

The United States House of Representatives has voted to advance a bipartisan bill to raise the debt ceiling, which limits the amount of money the federal government can borrow.

After calling for a recorded vote, the House passed the bill 314 – 117 in a late night sitting on Wednesday.

The vote comes as the government approaches the deadline of June 5 to lift the debt ceiling or default on its loans, which prospect experts warn could have devastating effects on the US economy.

But Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy faced a divided party as he rallied votes for the 99-page deal, which would suspend the $31.4 trillion borrowing limit until January 2025.

Far-right members of the Republican Party have blasted the deal since it was announced on Sunday after days of negotiations between congressional representatives and members of President Joe Biden’s Democratic White House.

Among the criticisms was the fact that the proposed spending cuts were not as deep as many Republicans hoped.

(Aljazeera)