President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached a deal this past weekend to the raise the debt ceiling by $4 trillion, which would avoid a default on certain federal government obligations, something projected to occur by June 5. The deal caps weeks of negotiation, with Republicans seeking to cap spending levels and roll back increased IRS funding and Democrats seeking to preserve their many of the programs passed in the last congress, most notably certain green energy subsidies.
The debt ceiling deal caps 2024 and 2025 discretionary spending levels based upon 2023 levels, with a 1% increase allowed for 2025. Republicans win’s also included imposing new work requirements on childless, able-bodied Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, as well as also adjust the formula states use to calculate aid as part of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
The deal also will cut $1.9 billion in additional IRS appropriation this year, and a further $20 billion is now set to be reallocated in 2024 and 2025. Democrats, who passed an additional $80 billion in IRS funding as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, claim the additional funding passed last year will lead to a net revenue gain by auditing primarily high earners. Republicans in contrast say the additional funding will primarily increase audits on lower- and middle-earners.
The deal will also force the Biden Administration to resume collecting student loan repayments this summer. It does not prevent Biden’s proposal to cancel $10,000 in student loan debt, which is currently in litigation before the Supreme Court.
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