The era of the small government conservative is gone. Even the most conservative house members were in favor of raising the debt ceiling, but they needed some key concessions. They said there needed to be stronger ethanol provisions, and they demanded a stronger work threshold should someone receive government assistance like welfare.
The midwestern flank of the GOP won the day as they got the ethanol provisions put in place in the debt ceiling bill.
And in exchange for Biden getting to raise the debt ceiling, unused exemptions from food stamps could not be saved and used for later. If they’re not used in a short allotted time, that money goes out the window. And the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families will have a much higher threshold for citizens to get support from them. And that kicks in as soon as 2024. Previously, the understanding was those new rules would start by 2025 at the earliest.
Big aspects of the Inflation Reduction Act are gone too. A billion dollars to convert buildings to be energy efficient is now no more. 5 billion of energy infrastructure loans is also gone, as well as 5 billion dollars to reduce climate change.
It shows a smart play on the Republicans part. There’s nothing tangible axed from the previous inflation bill that would have actually reduced inflation. But the Democrats snuck in billions to aid their environmental concerns.
A vote may come as soon as Friday, stay tuned to see what happens.
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