The last two times the House has approved a debt ceiling hike to keep the U.S. from defaulting on its debts, Democrats have carried the weight on both votes. In 2015, incoming House Speaker Paul Ryan was one of just 79 Republicans who joined 187 Democrats to raise the debt ceiling as part of an overall budget package. Securing that vote was John Boehner's parting gift to Ryan, who nonetheless decried the process at the time, saying it "stinks."
But at least Ryan voted for it, because when he had a chance to help his leadership team pass a “clean” debt ceiling hike without any extras in 2014, he joined with 199 Republicans and 2 Democrats to reject it. That year, only 28 Republicans voted in favor of the hike, leaving 193 Democrats to do the bulk of the work on passage.
And this year? Paul it-stinks-and-I-ain't-voting-for-it Ryan is charged with leading House Republicans to victory on yet another debt ceiling showdown (now a perennial GOP-generated high-noon event). Couldn't happen to a more deserving guy. Just 16 House Republicans who voted for the "clean" hike in 2014 still hold office and only four of them have indicated that they'll do so again.
Over in the Senate, Mitch McConnell isn't starting with a single vote from 2014 since every single GOP senator, including him, opposed final passage of the bill (though a dozen Republicans did help Democrats overcome a GOP filibuster to proceed with the bill).
Anyway, good luck Paul and Mitch—it's all yours along with that of your political ace in the hole over in the White House, writes The Hill.
Conservative Republicans are already pressing Ryan to tie spending cuts or budgetary reforms to a debt-limit bill, signaling they do not plan on changing their strategy with fellow Republican Donald Trump in the White House.
Democrats, however, say they will insist on a clean debt hike.
This means that if the House could pass a debt ceiling bill that included provisions backed by conservatives, their brethren in the Senate would need at least eight Democrats to back it in the upper chamber to overcome an expected filibuster.
The Trump administration has given mixed signals about the debt ceiling.
Shocking. Perhaps Democrats should be demanding more than a "clean" debt hike since Republicans can’t govern without them.