Republican Hard-Liners Already Have a Problem With the GOP’s Reconciliation Strategy

Some Freedom Caucus members think a debt limit increase needs to be part of the reconciliation process. GOP leaders are already signaling that it won’t be.

Chip Roy

Rep. Chip Roy speaks with reporters after a meeting with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise on Capitol Hill. Angelina Katsanis/POLITICO via AP

As Donald Trump and House GOP leaders discuss raising the debt ceiling in a bill separate from reconciliation, some Republican hard-liners maintain that including the debt limit in the partisan reconciliation process is the way to go.

“We should put it on one of the reconciliation bills so that we don’t have to pass it with Chuck Schumer,” House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris told NOTUS on Tuesday.

While that might seem like an obvious answer, voting for a debt ceiling hike might present a challenge to GOP leaders. There are some Republicans — like Rep. Tim Burchett — who have never voted for a debt limit increase and seem hesitant to start now.