Debt ceiling agreement gets thumbs up from business groups

The reviews are starting to come in as details emerge about the debt ceiling agreement reached by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Even before seeing those details, some lawmakers were criticizing the deal as not doing enough to tackle the nation's debt, while others worried it's too austere and will harm many low-income Americans.

The legislation will probably need support from a significant number of lawmakers from both parties to clear the closely divided House and gain the 60 votes necessary to advance in the Senate.

Many lawmakers said they were withholding judgment until they see the final details, many which did not come out until Sunday evening. That's when the 99-page bill that resulted from the Biden-McCarthy negotiations was made public.

A look at how the agreement is going over so far:

Some of the earliest objections are coming from the most conservative members of Congress, particularly members of the hardline House Freedom Caucus that often clashes with GOP leadership.

"I think it's a disaster!" tweeted Matt Rosendale, R-Mont.

"Fake conservatives agree to fake spending cuts," tweeted Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.

"This 'deal' is insanity," tweeted Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C. "A $4T debt ceiling increase with virtually no cuts is not what we agreed to. Not gonna vote to bankrupt our country. The American people deserve better."

GOP leaders knew all along that they would lose some members' support in any compromise with a Democratic-led White House and Senate. The question has always been whether the deal would pick up enough Democratic support to offset those defections.

As much as some Democrats dislike what is roughly a spending freeze on non-defense programs next year...

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