House Democrats Eye Discharge Petition to Raise Debt Limit

Republicans' relatively small House majority is giving some Democrats hope of raising the debt limit.

That's because with the help of as few as five moderate GOP members, Democrats could use a discharge petition to vote on and pass a bill.

A discharge petition allows an absolute majority of the House to force a floor vote on a bill. That would bypass House leadership and the Rules Committee that usually determines what legislation comes up for a vote and when.

The Washington Post reported that sources said House Democrats this week, via a series of formal and informal meetings, are starting to strategize on the possible use of a discharge petition.

One senior aide told the newspaper that the House legislative procedure is expected to come up at a meeting today between President Joe Biden and congressional Democrat leaders.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee during the 2011 debt limit crisis, said that he saw a discharge petition as the most likely way to break the impasse between the White House and House Republicans, the Post reported.

The newspaper, based on information from multiple sources, said the discharge petition was not Democrats' preferred tactic in raising the debit limit. However, the party's lawmakers need to understand and be prepared to employ it as a last resort.

"You prepare for any number of things that could happen," a senior Democrat aide said.

A former aide to Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said that Democrats will be hard-pressed to gain the support of five GOP House members.

"One thing that Kevin McCarthy has built into the fabric of the conference is the importance of maintaining control before by sticking together on procedural votes," lobbyist John Stipicevic, a former McCarthy deputy chief of staff, told the Post.

So far, moderate House Republicans have indicated they're not interested in joining their Democrat colleagues.

Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., told the Post that he wouldn't agree to lift the debt limit without including spending cuts.

"There's got to be some commitment by President Biden to reduce spending for us to even consider doing a discharge petition," said Bacon, who represents a district Biden carried in 2020.

Van Hollen, though, predicted that some Republicans might be willing to deal as a potential default loomed.

"Getting closer to the cliff may clarify the issue for some House Republicans who aren't willing to consider doing this the responsible way from the get-go," he told the Post.

Still, multiple Democrats told the Post that party members are working to ensure they stick together in refusing to negotiate with Republicans regarding the debt limit.

Democrats' refusal to negotiate over the debt limit could be a tough stance to maintain. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., told CNN that the White House's stance was "not responsible."

Another factor for Democrats to understand is that using a discharge petition takes time.

"They can only be attempted with legislation that's been referred to committee for at least 30 legislative days," the Post reported. "Once a discharge petition has gained enough signatures, it must appear on the legislative calendar for at least seven legislative days before the lawmaker who filed the petition can file a motion to discharge, triggering a vote to bring the bill to the House floor."

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