- by cnn
- 28 Sep 2023
Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said Sunday that White House negotiators and Democratic leaders should be concerned about progressive support for the tentative deal to raise the debt ceiling for two years
"Yes, they have to worry," Jayapal told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union," referring to some of the concessions made by the White House to reach the agreement with Republicans.
Following the announcement of the deal Saturday night, the White House and Republican leaders in Congress have been mounting an intensive push to consolidate support. But the marathon is far from over, and there remains little certainty the nation will avoid a default.
Whether House progressives will ultimately support the deal depends on the specifics of the agreement, Jayapal said, including how many people would be affected by expanded work requirements for certain adults receiving food stamps. The deal would also expand exemptions for certain recipients.
"It is really unfortunate that the president opened the door to this, and while at the end of the day, you know, perhaps this will - because of the exemptions - perhaps it will be OK, I can't commit to that. I really don't know," Jayapal said.
The Washington Democrat said that she was briefed by top White House official Lael Brainard after the current framework came together but that she will not make her position clear until she can see legislative text.
"That's always, you know, a problem, if you can't see the exact legislative text. And we're all trying to wade through spin right now," Jayapal said.
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