House debt ceiling vote to avert default on track with Biden and McCarthy both confident of passage

By LISA MASCARO, KEVIN FREKING, STEPHEN GROVES and FARNOUSH AMIRI
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The debt ceiling and budget cuts package is heading toward House passage after crossing a crucial hurdle Wednesday. President Joe Biden expressed optimism the deal he negotiated with Speaker Kevin McCarthy would pass later in the evening. They have worked to assemble a coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans to push it to approval over blowback from conservatives and some progressives. The U.S. faces a potentially disastrous U.S. default in less than a week if Congress fails to act. Despite deep disappointment from hard-right Republicans that budget cuts don’t go far enough, McCarthy insists he’ll have the votes. He calls it a “small step” toward improving the nation’s debt load. The package crossed a crucial procedural hurdle in the afternoon with bipartisan support.