WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Wednesday that a Chinese fighter jet flew aggressively close to a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea, forcing the American pilot to fly through the turbulent wake.

The Chinese J-16 fighter pilot “flew directly in front of the nose of the RC-135,” which was conducting routine operations in international airspace last Friday, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. It called the Chinese move an “ unnecessarily aggressive maneuver.”

U.S. defense leaders have complained that China’s military has become significantly more aggressive over the past five years, intercepting U.S. aircraft and ships in the region. And tensions with China have only grown in recent months over Washington’s military support and sales of defensive weapons to self-governing Taiwan, China’s assertions of sovereignty to the contested South China Sea and its flying of a suspected spy balloon over the U.S.

In a further sign of the tensions, China said its defense chief&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-military-taiwan-balloon-singapore-e78f67d3d590294a2e4a351e6430e6ec">will not meet</a>&nbsp;with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin when the two men attend a security conference in Singapore this coming weekend. Austin is scheduled to address the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, while Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu will speak at the gathering on Sunday.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said China informed the U.S. that it was declining Austin’s invitation to meet while they were at the conference. He said Beijing’s “concerning unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions” will not diminish the Defense Department’s commitment to seeking open lines of communication with the Chinese army.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Tuesday blamed the U.S., saying Washington should “earnestly respect China’s sovereignty and security interests and concerns, immediately correct the wrongdoing, show sincerity, and create the necessary atmosphere and conditions for dialogue and communication between the two militaries.”

In a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-china-indonesia-jakarta-joint-chiefs-of-staff-9d5172dafc703b7dccc4ac175a984c91">visit to the Indo-Pacific</a>&nbsp;last summer, U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the number of intercepts by Chinese aircraft and ships in the Pacific region with U.S. and other partner forces has increased significantly over that time, and the number of unsafe interactions has risen by similar proportions.

China frequently challenges military aircraft from the U.S. and its allies, especially over the strategically vital South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety. Such behavior led to a 2001 in-air collision in which a Chinese plane was lost and pilot killed. Beijing deeply resents the presence of U.S. military assets in that region, and regularly demands that American ships and planes leave the area.

In the statement Tuesday, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said America will continue to “fly, sail, and operate — safely and responsibly — wherever international law allows,” and expects all other countries to do the same.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685562587349.png" alt="From a video of the Chinese J-16 fighter pilot that "flew directly in front of the nose of the RC-135". Image INDOPACOM" />
 <figcaption>From a video of the Chinese J-16 fighter pilot that "flew directly in front of the nose of the RC-135". Image INDOPACOM</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Wednesday that a Chinese fighter jet flew aggressively close to a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft over the South China Sea, forcing the American pilot to fly through the turbulent wake.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">John Kirby on Chinese fighter jet maneuver over South China Sea: &quot;It was unsafe and it was unprofessional...It&#39;s dangerous. One of the reasons we want to keep the lines of communication open...is so that we have a way to talk to the Chinese about incidents like this one.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/MA67WZN3y2">pic.twitter.com/MA67WZN3y2</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1663968567010684928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>The Chinese J-16 fighter pilot “flew directly in front of the nose of the RC-135,” which was conducting routine operations in international airspace last Friday, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement. It called the Chinese move an “ unnecessarily aggressive maneuver.”U.S. defense leaders have complained that China’s military has become significantly more aggressive over the past five years, intercepting U.S. aircraft and ships in the region. And tensions with China have only grown in recent months over Washington’s military support and sales of defensive weapons to self-governing Taiwan, China’s assertions of sovereignty to the contested South China Sea and its flying of a suspected spy balloon over the U.S.In a further sign of the tensions, China said its defense chief&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/china-us-military-taiwan-balloon-singapore-e78f67d3d590294a2e4a351e6430e6ec">will not meet</a>&nbsp;with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin when the two men attend a security conference in Singapore this coming weekend. Austin is scheduled to address the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday, while Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu will speak at the gathering on Sunday.Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said China informed the U.S. that it was declining Austin’s invitation to meet while they were at the conference. He said Beijing’s “concerning unwillingness to engage in meaningful military-to-military discussions” will not diminish the Defense Department’s commitment to seeking open lines of communication with the Chinese army.Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Tuesday blamed the U.S., saying Washington should “earnestly respect China’s sovereignty and security interests and concerns, immediately correct the wrongdoing, show sincerity, and create the necessary atmosphere and conditions for dialogue and communication between the two militaries.”In a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/nato-china-indonesia-jakarta-joint-chiefs-of-staff-9d5172dafc703b7dccc4ac175a984c91">visit to the Indo-Pacific</a>&nbsp;last summer, U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the number of intercepts by Chinese aircraft and ships in the Pacific region with U.S. and other partner forces has increased significantly over that time, and the number of unsafe interactions has risen by similar proportions.China frequently challenges military aircraft from the U.S. and its allies, especially over the strategically vital South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety. Such behavior led to a 2001 in-air collision in which a Chinese plane was lost and pilot killed. Beijing deeply resents the presence of U.S. military assets in that region, and regularly demands that American ships and planes leave the area.In the statement Tuesday, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said America will continue to “fly, sail, and operate — safely and responsibly — wherever international law allows,” and expects all other countries to do the same.

🎥 U.S. responds to aggressive move by Chinese fighter jet

WASHINGTON (AP) — Veering away from a default crisis, the House approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">debt ceiling and budget cuts package</a>&nbsp;late Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.&nbsp;

<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20230529/BILLS-118hrPIH-fiscalresponsibility.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the bill

The hard-fought deal pleased few, but lawmakers assessed it was better than the alternative — a devastating economic upheaval if Congress failed to act. Tensions ran high throughout the day as hard-right Republicans refused the deal, while Democrats said “extremist” GOP views were risking a debt default as soon as next week.

With an overwhelming House vote, 314-117, the bill now heads to the Senate with passage expected by week's end.

McCarthy insisted his party was working to “give America hope” as he launched into a late evening speech extolling the bill's budget cuts, which he said were needed to curb Washington's “runaway spending.”

Amid deep discontent from Republicans who said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-mccarthy-debt-biden-republicans-d4995f10a26d6c8bfa89a2bbfd1de93c">spending restrictions did not go far enough</a>, McCarthy said it is only a “first step."

The package makes some inroads in curbing the nation’s debt as Republicans demanded, without rolling back Trump-era tax breaks as Biden wanted. To pass it, Biden and McCarthy counted on support from the political center, a rarity in divided Washington.

In a statement released after the vote, Biden said: “I have been clear that the only path forward is a bipartisan compromise that can earn the support of both parties. This agreement meets that test.”

He called the vote “good news for the American people and the American economy.”

Biden had sent top White House officials to the Capitol and called lawmakers directly to shore up backing. McCarthy worked to sell skeptical fellow Republicans, even fending off challenges to his leadership, in the rush to avert&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-explained-8c9cbcd3d0c4a8fe989a0110f5159f7c">a potentially disastrous U.S. default</a>.

Swift passage later in the week by the Senate would ensure government checks will continue to go out to Social Security recipients, veterans and others and would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-congress-world-economy-recession-biden-52df635e9b89f4b1677176fc8d59eff0">prevent financial upheaval at home and abroad</a>. Next Monday is when the Treasury has said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-xdate-yellen-default-biden-treasury-b1f2acb09b9a2fdfbf4b5505279d70ae">the U.S. would run short of money</a>&nbsp;to pay its debts.

Overall,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the 99-page bill</a>&nbsp;restricts spending for the next two years, suspends the debt ceiling into January 2025 and changes some policies, including imposing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">new work requirements for older Americans receiving food aid</a>&nbsp;and greenlighting an Appalachian natural gas line that many Democrats oppose.

It bolsters funds for defense and veterans, and guts new money for Internal Revenue Service agents.

Raising the nation's debt limit, now $31 trillion, ensures Treasury can borrow to pay already incurred U.S. debts.

Top GOP deal negotiator Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said Republicans were fighting for budget cuts after the past years of extra spending, first during the COVID-19 crisis and later with Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, with its historic investment to fight climate change paid for with revenues elsewhere.

But Republican Rep. Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus helping to lead the opposition, said, “My beef is that you cut a deal that shouldn’t have been cut.”

For weeks negotiators labored late into the night to strike the deal with the White House, and for days McCarthy has worked to build support among skeptics. At one point, aides wheeled in pizza at the Capitol the night before the vote as he walked Republicans through the details, fielded questions and encouraged them not to lose sight of the bill’s budget savings.

The speaker has faced a tough crowd. Cheered on by conservative senators and outside groups, the hard-right House Freedom Caucus lambasted the compromise as falling well short of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-mccarthy-debt-biden-republicans-d4995f10a26d6c8bfa89a2bbfd1de93c">the needed spending cuts</a>, and they vowed to try to halt passage.

A much larger conservative faction, the Republican Study Committee, declined to take a position. Even rank-and-file centrist conservatives were unsure, leaving McCarthy searching for votes from his slim Republican majority.

Ominously, the conservatives warned of possibly trying to oust McCarthy over the compromise.

One influential Republican, former President Donald Trump, held his fire: "It is what it is,” he said of the deal in an interview with Iowa radio host Simon Conway.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said it was up to McCarthy to turn out Republican votes in the 435-member House, where 218 votes are needed for approval.

As the tally faltered on an afternoon procedural vote, Jeffries stood silently and raised his green voting card, signaling that the Democrats would fill in the gap to ensure passage. They did, advancing the bill that hard-right Republicans, many from the Freedom Caucus, refused to back.

“Once again, House Democrats to the rescue to avoid a dangerous default,” said Jeffries, D-N.Y.

“What does that say about this extreme MAGA Republican majority?” he said about the party aligned with Trump’s ”Make America Great Again” political movement.

Then, on the final vote hours later, Democrats again ensured passage, leading the tally as 71 Republicans bucked their majority and voted against it.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the spending restrictions in the package would reduce deficits by $1.5 trillion over the decade, a top goal for the Republicans trying to curb the debt load.

In a surprise that complicated Republicans' support, however, the CBO said their drive to impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">work requirements on older Americans receiving food stamps</a>&nbsp;would end up boosting spending by $2.1 billion over the time period. That's because the final deal exempts veterans and homeless people, expanding the food stamp rolls by 78,000 people monthly, the CBO said.

Liberal discontent, though, ran strong as nearly four dozen Democrats also broke away, decrying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">the new work requirements</a>&nbsp;for older Americans, those 50-54, in the food aid program.

Some Democrats were also incensed that the White House negotiated into the deal changes to the landmark National Environmental Policy Act and approval of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline natural gas project. The energy development is important to Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., but many others oppose it as unhelpful in fighting climate change.

On Wall Street,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-economy-china-debt-0000f2f3dae91c8ea17c69ab232257c1">stock prices were down.</a>

In the Senate, Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell are working for passage by week's end.

Schumer warned there is ”no room for error."

Senators, who have remained largely on the sidelines during much of the negotiations, are insisting on amendments to reshape the package. But making any changes at this stage seemed unlikely with so little time to spare before Monday's deadline.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Veering away from a default crisis, the House approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">debt ceiling and budget cuts package</a>&nbsp;late Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.

With the House vote of 314-117, the bill now heads to the Senate with passage expected by week's end.

But amid discontent from Republicans who said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-mccarthy-debt-biden-republicans-d4995f10a26d6c8bfa89a2bbfd1de93c">spending restrictions did not go far enough</a>, McCarthy said it is only a “first step."

Earlier, Biden expressed optimism that the agreement he negotiated with McCarthy to lift the nation's borrowing limit would pass the chamber and avoid an economically disastrous default on America's debts.

The president departed Washington for Colorado, where he is scheduled to deliver the commencement address Thursday at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

“God willing by the time I land, Congress will have acted, the House will have acted, and we’ll be one step closer,” he said. That wasn't quite the case — the vote began about an hour and a half after Biden arrived in Colorado.

Biden sent top White House officials to the Capitol to shore up backing. McCarthy worked to sell skeptical fellow Republicans, even fending off challenges to his leadership, in the rush to avert&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-explained-8c9cbcd3d0c4a8fe989a0110f5159f7c">a potentially disastrous U.S. default</a>.

Swift later in the week by the Senate would ensure government checks will continue to go out to Social Security recipients, veterans and others and would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-congress-world-economy-recession-biden-52df635e9b89f4b1677176fc8d59eff0">prevent financial upheaval at home and abroad</a>. Next Monday is when the Treasury has said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-xdate-yellen-default-biden-treasury-b1f2acb09b9a2fdfbf4b5505279d70ae">the U.S. would run short of money</a>&nbsp;to pay its debts.

Biden and McCarthy were counting on support from the political center, a rarity in divided Washington, testing the leadership of the Democratic president and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-speaker-mccarthy-biden-51c358b700d9588ea5122ea402b819dd">the Republican speaker</a>.

Overall,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the 99-page bill</a>&nbsp;restricts spending for the next two years, suspends the debt ceiling into January 2025 and changes some policies, including imposing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">new work requirements for older Americans receiving food aid</a>&nbsp;and greenlighting an Appalachian natural gas line that many Democrats oppose. It bolsters funds for defense and veterans.

Top GOP deal negotiator Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said Republicans were fighting for budget cuts after Democrats piled onto deficits with extra spending, first during the COVID-19 crisis and later with Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, with its historic investment to fight climate change.

Biden spoke directly to lawmakers, making calls from the White House.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said it was up to McCarthy to turn out at least 150 Republican votes, two-thirds of the majority, even as he assured reporters that Democrats would supply the rest to prevent a default. In the 435-member House, 218 votes are needed for approval.

As the tally faltered in the afternoon procedural vote, Jeffries stood silently and raised his green voting card, signaling that the Democrats would fill in the gap to ensure passage. They did, advancing the bill that 29 hard-right Republicans, many from the Freedom Caucus, refused to back.

“What does that say about this extreme MAGA Republican majority?” he said about the party aligned with Donald Trump’s ”Make America Great Again” political movement.

Liberal discontent, though, ran strong as Democrats also broke away, decrying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">the new work requirements</a>&nbsp;for older Americans, those 50-54, in the food aid program.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685582853054.png" alt="A view of the House Floor immediately following the vote -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>A view of the House Floor immediately following the vote -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Veering away from a default crisis, the House approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">debt ceiling and budget cuts package</a>&nbsp;late Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20230529/BILLS-118hrPIH-fiscalresponsibility.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the billThe hard-fought deal pleased few, but lawmakers assessed it was better than the alternative — a devastating economic upheaval if Congress failed to act. Tensions ran high throughout the day as hard-right Republicans refused the deal, while Democrats said “extremist” GOP views were risking a debt default as soon as next week.With an overwhelming House vote, 314-117, the bill now heads to the Senate with passage expected by week's end.McCarthy insisted his party was working to “give America hope” as he launched into a late evening speech extolling the bill's budget cuts, which he said were needed to curb Washington's “runaway spending.”Amid deep discontent from Republicans who said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-mccarthy-debt-biden-republicans-d4995f10a26d6c8bfa89a2bbfd1de93c">spending restrictions did not go far enough</a>, McCarthy said it is only a “first step."The package makes some inroads in curbing the nation’s debt as Republicans demanded, without rolling back Trump-era tax breaks as Biden wanted. To pass it, Biden and McCarthy counted on support from the political center, a rarity in divided Washington.In a statement released after the vote, Biden said: “I have been clear that the only path forward is a bipartisan compromise that can earn the support of both parties. This agreement meets that test.”He called the vote “good news for the American people and the American economy.”Biden had sent top White House officials to the Capitol and called lawmakers directly to shore up backing. McCarthy worked to sell skeptical fellow Republicans, even fending off challenges to his leadership, in the rush to avert&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-explained-8c9cbcd3d0c4a8fe989a0110f5159f7c">a potentially disastrous U.S. default</a>.Swift passage later in the week by the Senate would ensure government checks will continue to go out to Social Security recipients, veterans and others and would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-congress-world-economy-recession-biden-52df635e9b89f4b1677176fc8d59eff0">prevent financial upheaval at home and abroad</a>. Next Monday is when the Treasury has said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-xdate-yellen-default-biden-treasury-b1f2acb09b9a2fdfbf4b5505279d70ae">the U.S. would run short of money</a>&nbsp;to pay its debts.Overall,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the 99-page bill</a>&nbsp;restricts spending for the next two years, suspends the debt ceiling into January 2025 and changes some policies, including imposing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">new work requirements for older Americans receiving food aid</a>&nbsp;and greenlighting an Appalachian natural gas line that many Democrats oppose.It bolsters funds for defense and veterans, and guts new money for Internal Revenue Service agents.Raising the nation's debt limit, now $31 trillion, ensures Treasury can borrow to pay already incurred U.S. debts.Top GOP deal negotiator Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said Republicans were fighting for budget cuts after the past years of extra spending, first during the COVID-19 crisis and later with Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, with its historic investment to fight climate change paid for with revenues elsewhere.But Republican Rep. Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus helping to lead the opposition, said, “My beef is that you cut a deal that shouldn’t have been cut.”For weeks negotiators labored late into the night to strike the deal with the White House, and for days McCarthy has worked to build support among skeptics. At one point, aides wheeled in pizza at the Capitol the night before the vote as he walked Republicans through the details, fielded questions and encouraged them not to lose sight of the bill’s budget savings.The speaker has faced a tough crowd. Cheered on by conservative senators and outside groups, the hard-right House Freedom Caucus lambasted the compromise as falling well short of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-mccarthy-debt-biden-republicans-d4995f10a26d6c8bfa89a2bbfd1de93c">the needed spending cuts</a>, and they vowed to try to halt passage.A much larger conservative faction, the Republican Study Committee, declined to take a position. Even rank-and-file centrist conservatives were unsure, leaving McCarthy searching for votes from his slim Republican majority.Ominously, the conservatives warned of possibly trying to oust McCarthy over the compromise.One influential Republican, former President Donald Trump, held his fire: "It is what it is,” he said of the deal in an interview with Iowa radio host Simon Conway.House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said it was up to McCarthy to turn out Republican votes in the 435-member House, where 218 votes are needed for approval.As the tally faltered on an afternoon procedural vote, Jeffries stood silently and raised his green voting card, signaling that the Democrats would fill in the gap to ensure passage. They did, advancing the bill that hard-right Republicans, many from the Freedom Caucus, refused to back.“Once again, House Democrats to the rescue to avoid a dangerous default,” said Jeffries, D-N.Y.“What does that say about this extreme MAGA Republican majority?” he said about the party aligned with Trump’s ”Make America Great Again” political movement.Then, on the final vote hours later, Democrats again ensured passage, leading the tally as 71 Republicans bucked their majority and voted against it.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the spending restrictions in the package would reduce deficits by $1.5 trillion over the decade, a top goal for the Republicans trying to curb the debt load.In a surprise that complicated Republicans' support, however, the CBO said their drive to impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">work requirements on older Americans receiving food stamps</a>&nbsp;would end up boosting spending by $2.1 billion over the time period. That's because the final deal exempts veterans and homeless people, expanding the food stamp rolls by 78,000 people monthly, the CBO said.Liberal discontent, though, ran strong as nearly four dozen Democrats also broke away, decrying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">the new work requirements</a>&nbsp;for older Americans, those 50-54, in the food aid program.Some Democrats were also incensed that the White House negotiated into the deal changes to the landmark National Environmental Policy Act and approval of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline natural gas project. The energy development is important to Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., but many others oppose it as unhelpful in fighting climate change.On Wall Street,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-economy-china-debt-0000f2f3dae91c8ea17c69ab232257c1">stock prices were down.</a>In the Senate, Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell are working for passage by week's end.Schumer warned there is ”no room for error."Senators, who have remained largely on the sidelines during much of the negotiations, are insisting on amendments to reshape the package. But making any changes at this stage seemed unlikely with so little time to spare before Monday's deadline.___WASHINGTON (AP) — Veering away from a default crisis, the House approved a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">debt ceiling and budget cuts package</a>&nbsp;late Wednesday, as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assembled a bipartisan coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans against fierce conservative blowback and progressive dissent.<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20230529/BILLS-118hrPIH-fiscalresponsibility.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the billThe hard-fought deal pleased few, but lawmakers assessed it was better than the alternative — a devastating economic upheaval if Congress failed to act. Tensions ran high throughout the day as hard-right Republicans refused the deal, while Democrats said “extremist” GOP views were risking a debt default as soon as next week.With the House vote of 314-117, the bill now heads to the Senate with passage expected by week's end.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685582773295.png" alt="House Speaker Kevin McCarthy spoke just before the vote-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>House Speaker Kevin McCarthy spoke just before the vote-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>McCarthy insisted his party was working to “give America hope” as he launched into a late evening speech extolling the bill's budget cuts, which he said were needed to curb Washington's “runaway spending.”But amid discontent from Republicans who said the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-mccarthy-debt-biden-republicans-d4995f10a26d6c8bfa89a2bbfd1de93c">spending restrictions did not go far enough</a>, McCarthy said it is only a “first step."Earlier, Biden expressed optimism that the agreement he negotiated with McCarthy to lift the nation's borrowing limit would pass the chamber and avoid an economically disastrous default on America's debts.The president departed Washington for Colorado, where he is scheduled to deliver the commencement address Thursday at the U.S. Air Force Academy.“God willing by the time I land, Congress will have acted, the House will have acted, and we’ll be one step closer,” he said. That wasn't quite the case — the vote began about an hour and a half after Biden arrived in Colorado.Biden sent top White House officials to the Capitol to shore up backing. McCarthy worked to sell skeptical fellow Republicans, even fending off challenges to his leadership, in the rush to avert&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-explained-8c9cbcd3d0c4a8fe989a0110f5159f7c">a potentially disastrous U.S. default</a>.Swift later in the week by the Senate would ensure government checks will continue to go out to Social Security recipients, veterans and others and would&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-congress-world-economy-recession-biden-52df635e9b89f4b1677176fc8d59eff0">prevent financial upheaval at home and abroad</a>. Next Monday is when the Treasury has said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-xdate-yellen-default-biden-treasury-b1f2acb09b9a2fdfbf4b5505279d70ae">the U.S. would run short of money</a>&nbsp;to pay its debts.Biden and McCarthy were counting on support from the political center, a rarity in divided Washington, testing the leadership of the Democratic president and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-speaker-mccarthy-biden-51c358b700d9588ea5122ea402b819dd">the Republican speaker</a>.Overall,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-ceiling-deal-food-aid-student-loans-3c284b01d95f8e193bca8d873386400e">the 99-page bill</a>&nbsp;restricts spending for the next two years, suspends the debt ceiling into January 2025 and changes some policies, including imposing&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">new work requirements for older Americans receiving food aid</a>&nbsp;and greenlighting an Appalachian natural gas line that many Democrats oppose. It bolsters funds for defense and veterans.Raising the nation's debt limit, now $31 trillion, ensures Treasury can borrow to pay already incurred U.S. debts.Top GOP deal negotiator Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana said Republicans were fighting for budget cuts after Democrats piled onto deficits with extra spending, first during the COVID-19 crisis and later with Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, with its historic investment to fight climate change.But Republican Rep. Chip Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus helping to lead the opposition, said, “My beef is that you cut a deal that shouldn’t have been cut.”For weeks negotiators labored late into the night to strike the deal with the White House, and for days McCarthy has worked to build support among skeptics. At one point, aides wheeled in pizza at the Capitol the night before the vote as he walked Republicans through the details, fielded questions and encouraged them not to lose sight of the bill’s budget savings.The speaker has faced a tough crowd. Cheered on by conservative senators and outside groups, the hard-right House Freedom Caucus lambasted the compromise as falling well short of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-mccarthy-debt-biden-republicans-d4995f10a26d6c8bfa89a2bbfd1de93c">the needed spending cuts</a>, and they vowed to try to halt passage.A much larger conservative faction, the Republican Study Committee, declined to take a position. Even rank-and-file centrist conservatives were unsure, leaving McCarthy searching for votes from his slim Republican majority.Ominously, the conservatives warned of possibly trying to oust McCarthy over the compromise.Biden spoke directly to lawmakers, making calls from the White House.House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said it was up to McCarthy to turn out at least 150 Republican votes, two-thirds of the majority, even as he assured reporters that Democrats would supply the rest to prevent a default. In the 435-member House, 218 votes are needed for approval.As the tally faltered in the afternoon procedural vote, Jeffries stood silently and raised his green voting card, signaling that the Democrats would fill in the gap to ensure passage. They did, advancing the bill that 29 hard-right Republicans, many from the Freedom Caucus, refused to back.“Once again, House Democrats to the rescue to avoid a dangerous default,” said Jeffries, D-N.Y.“What does that say about this extreme MAGA Republican majority?” he said about the party aligned with Donald Trump’s ”Make America Great Again” political movement.The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the spending restrictions in the package would reduce deficits by $1.5 trillion over the decade, a top goal for the Republicans trying to curb the debt load.In a surprise that complicated Republicans' support, however, the CBO said their drive to impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-bill-default-work-requirements-food-stamps-a42064f794b4466903ca06ca140b9013">work requirements on older Americans receiving food stamps</a>&nbsp;would end up boosting spending by $2.1 billion over the time period. That's because the final deal exempts veterans and homeless people, expanding the food stamp rolls by 78,000 people monthly, the CBO said.Liberal discontent, though, ran strong as Democrats also broke away, decrying&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">the new work requirements</a>&nbsp;for older Americans, those 50-54, in the food aid program.Some Democrats were also incensed that the White House negotiated into the deal changes to the landmark National Environmental Policy Act and approval of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline natural gas project. The energy development is important to Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., but many others oppose it as unhelpful in fighting climate change.On Wall Street,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-economy-china-debt-0000f2f3dae91c8ea17c69ab232257c1">stock prices were down.</a>In the Senate, Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell are working for passage by week's end.Schumer warned there is ”no room for error."Senators, who have remained largely on the sidelines during much of the negotiations, are insisting on amendments to reshape the package. But making any changes at this stage seemed unlikely with so little time to spare before Monday's deadline.

House OKs debt ceiling bill to avoid default, sends deal to Senate

Washington –&nbsp;On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted on a motion to end President Biden’s student loan relief plan. On a 51-46 vote, the Senate advanced the legislation that would repeal the debt cancellation program and nullify the pause on monthly payments and interest.

U.S. Senators Deb Fisher and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska along with&nbsp; Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall of Kansas voted to overturn the bailout. This measure protects those who did not attend college or already paid off their student loan from being responsible for this debt.&nbsp;

Senator Marshall released the following statement after voting down the bailout:

“In the America I grew up in, if you took out a loan, you paid it back. It’s that simple. I am proud to support today’s CRA that overturns Joe Biden's student loan scheme and saves our country over $300 BILLION. Transferring over undue debt to the American taxpayers is not only fiscally irresponsible, it’s flat-out wrong. This isn’t student loan ‘forgiveness,’ it’s the federal government fleecing hardworking families.”

Washington –&nbsp;On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate voted on a motion to end President Biden’s student loan relief plan. On a 51-46 vote, the Senate advanced the legislation that would repeal the debt cancellation program and nullify the pause on monthly payments and interest.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">President Biden’s student loan bailout is an attack on fiscally responsible and working-class Americans. While I am hopeful the Supreme Court will ultimately block this policy, Congress must take action as well. Proud to vote in the Senate today to block this illegal policy. <a href="https://t.co/lR4GfGLTwt">pic.twitter.com/lR4GfGLTwt</a>&mdash; Senator Pete Ricketts (@SenatorRicketts) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenatorRicketts/status/1663990521188982786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. Senators Deb Fisher and Pete Ricketts of Nebraska along with&nbsp; Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall of Kansas voted to overturn the bailout. This measure protects those who did not attend college or already paid off their student loan from being responsible for this debt.&nbsp;Senator Marshall released the following statement after voting down the bailout:“In the America I grew up in, if you took out a loan, you paid it back. It’s that simple. I am proud to support today’s CRA that overturns Joe Biden's student loan scheme and saves our country over $300 BILLION. Transferring over undue debt to the American taxpayers is not only fiscally irresponsible, it’s flat-out wrong. This isn’t student loan ‘forgiveness,’ it’s the federal government fleecing hardworking families.”

Fisher, Ricketts vote to advance repeal of Biden’s student debt relief

By&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/zachwendling/">ZACH WENDLING</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/19/nebraska-gives-final-passage-to-concealed-carry-of-handguns-without-permit-or-training/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

LINCOLN —&nbsp;University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty told the University of Nebraska Board of Regents on Wednesday they were “blindsided” by a proposal to shift the authority of Husker Athletics to central administration.

Kelli Kopocis, a UNL professor and president of the campus’s Faculty Senate, said faculty are “very concerned” about proposed budget cuts and the proposed bylaw change related to athletics.&nbsp;

That change would vest hiring decisions and oversight of Husker Athletics to the NU system president rather than the UNL chancellor.

“The system is only as strong as the flagship,” Kopocis said. “Moving the oversight of Husker Athletics away from the flagship will have grave consequences to the academic side of the institution.”

Regents Tim Clare of Lincoln and Rob Schafer of Fremont&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-regents-to-consider-shifting-husker-athletics-authority-to-nu-president/">unveiled the proposal</a>&nbsp;last week to instead authorize the NU president to make hiring decisions within UNL’s athletic department.

The change would not extend to NU’s other campuses in Omaha or Kearney.

Clare and Schafer said Husker Athletics is the “single most iconic brand” of Nebraska, and college athletics is “in the midst of the most intense period of change in our lifetimes.”

“I think intercollegiate athletics is in search of a leader who can help them navigate these issues,” Clare told the Nebraska Examiner last week, pointing to NU President Ted Carter.

Carter said the regents approached him about the bylaw change and noted he served on the NCAA Board of Governors for five years while he was superintendent of the Naval Academy.&nbsp;

But despite the change, Carter said the change would not dilute oversight requirements and “certainly not take anything away” from&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/priority-candidate-for-unl-chancellor-is-30-year-veteran-of-higher-ed-and-would-be-first-person-of-color-in-the-role/">Rodney Bennett</a>, the priority candidate to succeed UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green.

Green plans to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/green-announces-plan-to-retire-as-chancellor-in-2023/">retire</a>&nbsp;at the end of June.

Carter said he has advised the regents the change needs to be bigger than him because the Big Ten and intercollegiate athletics generally deals with topics such as name, image and likeness.

“If it’s the right thing to do, it’s the right thing to do,” Carter said. “Take Ted Carter out of it.”

Carter said Bennett, if approved by the regents, would still be involved with athletics and said he&nbsp; would ensure Bennett knows what is going on.

“We want to make sure Nebraska is staying out front and that we’ve got a good seat at the table,” Carter said.

Kopocis said the proposal could impact student-athletes in addition to UNL’s budget, diverting a direct on-campus connection with UNL faculty, residence life, Title IX and other campus-level offices.

The NU president’s office is located near UNL’s East Campus, not City Campus where Memorial Stadium and most resources are located.

UNL’s chancellor currently represents UNL on the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors. This would change to the NU system president under the bylaw change.

Except for Rutgers University, the leaders of each Big Ten institution’s flagship campus form the council that oversees the Big Ten’s policies, budget and operations.&nbsp;

The Big Ten Academic Alliance, Kopocis explained, has helped UNL to negotiate better library collections and access, technology collaboration, large-scale purchasing power and leadership development for faculty and staff.

Husker Athletics also provides direct support to the UNL campus, Kopocis said, such as donating $10 million in excess revenue to UNL in three of the past four academic years. In each of the five years before that, Athletics gave UNL $5 million that funded non-academic scholarships for students who “might not have been able to go to college otherwise.”

“Providing a high-quality education for the next generation of Nebraska’s leaders is the reason that we are all here and is the responsibility you have entrusted with us, the faculty,” she said.

The board is set to consider the bylaw change at its June 22 meeting, which will also feature NU’s biennial budget and the likely final approval of Bennett for UNL chancellor.

<figure>
 <img src="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/carter_ZJW_053123-02-1024x682.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure> By&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/author/zachwendling/">ZACH WENDLING</a> <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/04/19/nebraska-gives-final-passage-to-concealed-carry-of-handguns-without-permit-or-training/">Nebraska Examiner</a>LINCOLN —&nbsp;University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty told the University of Nebraska Board of Regents on Wednesday they were “blindsided” by a proposal to shift the authority of Husker Athletics to central administration.Kelli Kopocis, a UNL professor and president of the campus’s Faculty Senate, said faculty are “very concerned” about proposed budget cuts and the proposed bylaw change related to athletics.&nbsp;That change would vest hiring decisions and oversight of Husker Athletics to the NU system president rather than the UNL chancellor.“The system is only as strong as the flagship,” Kopocis said. “Moving the oversight of Husker Athletics away from the flagship will have grave consequences to the academic side of the institution.”<h2>‘In search of a leader’</h2>Regents Tim Clare of Lincoln and Rob Schafer of Fremont&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/nebraska-regents-to-consider-shifting-husker-athletics-authority-to-nu-president/">unveiled the proposal</a>&nbsp;last week to instead authorize the NU president to make hiring decisions within UNL’s athletic department.The change would not extend to NU’s other campuses in Omaha or Kearney.Clare and Schafer said Husker Athletics is the “single most iconic brand” of Nebraska, and college athletics is “in the midst of the most intense period of change in our lifetimes.”“I think intercollegiate athletics is in search of a leader who can help them navigate these issues,” Clare told the Nebraska Examiner last week, pointing to NU President Ted Carter.<h2>‘Take Ted Carter out of it’</h2>Carter said the regents approached him about the bylaw change and noted he served on the NCAA Board of Governors for five years while he was superintendent of the Naval Academy.&nbsp;But despite the change, Carter said the change would not dilute oversight requirements and “certainly not take anything away” from&nbsp;<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/priority-candidate-for-unl-chancellor-is-30-year-veteran-of-higher-ed-and-would-be-first-person-of-color-in-the-role/">Rodney Bennett</a>, the priority candidate to succeed UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green.Green plans to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/green-announces-plan-to-retire-as-chancellor-in-2023/">retire</a>&nbsp;at the end of June.Carter said he has advised the regents the change needs to be bigger than him because the Big Ten and intercollegiate athletics generally deals with topics such as name, image and likeness.“If it’s the right thing to do, it’s the right thing to do,” Carter said. “Take Ted Carter out of it.”Carter said Bennett, if approved by the regents, would still be involved with athletics and said he&nbsp; would ensure Bennett knows what is going on.“We want to make sure Nebraska is staying out front and that we’ve got a good seat at the table,” Carter said.<h2>Academic impacts</h2>Kopocis said the proposal could impact student-athletes in addition to UNL’s budget, diverting a direct on-campus connection with UNL faculty, residence life, Title IX and other campus-level offices.The NU president’s office is located near UNL’s East Campus, not City Campus where Memorial Stadium and most resources are located.UNL’s chancellor currently represents UNL on the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors. This would change to the NU system president under the bylaw change.Except for Rutgers University, the leaders of each Big Ten institution’s flagship campus form the council that oversees the Big Ten’s policies, budget and operations.&nbsp;The Big Ten Academic Alliance, Kopocis explained, has helped UNL to negotiate better library collections and access, technology collaboration, large-scale purchasing power and leadership development for faculty and staff.Husker Athletics also provides direct support to the UNL campus, Kopocis said, such as donating $10 million in excess revenue to UNL in three of the past four academic years. In each of the five years before that, Athletics gave UNL $5 million that funded non-academic scholarships for students who “might not have been able to go to college otherwise.”“Providing a high-quality education for the next generation of Nebraska’s leaders is the reason that we are all here and is the responsibility you have entrusted with us, the faculty,” she said.The board is set to consider the bylaw change at its June 22 meeting, which will also feature NU’s biennial budget and the likely final approval of Bennett for UNL chancellor.

NU president previews athletics bylaw change, budget status

By ASHLEY MURRAY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — The holiday weekend debt ceiling deal struck by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy preserves in part new work requirements for some food stamp recipients but now with exceptions for certain populations, including veterans.

The agreement released late Saturday night showed concessions from both sides — from GOP members, who wanted to tighten eligibility for not just food stamps but also low-income health care, and from the Democrats, who called such restrictions a nonstarter.

The Biden administration and the Republican House majority arrived at a compromise, titled the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the day after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/05/27/treasury-secretary-pinpoints-june-5-as-earliest-date-for-u-s-debt-default/">warned</a>&nbsp;the U.S. would default if a deal wasn’t brokered by June 5.

Work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and other government benefits were a sticking point during the months of stalemate leading right up to the edge of Treasury exhausting all reserves to pay the nation’s bills.

The House is expected to vote on the deal by late evening Wednesday, after which the bill will head to the Democratic-led Senate.

The Fiscal Responsibility Act proposes additional work requirements, with a sunset date of 2030, for adults without dependents age 18 to 55, unless the recipient has veteran status, is a homeless person or is under 24 and aging out of the foster care system.

The House GOP majority maintains the new rules would “lift Americans out of poverty” and that the “consequential reforms” will “save taxpayer dollars, get Americans back to work, and grow the economy,” according to a document released Saturday by the office of GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota.

The move softens McCarthy’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-plan-would-expand-work-requirements-for-food-aid-for-older-adults/">original proposal</a>&nbsp;that raised the work requirements for food assistance beneficiaries without dependents up to age 55 without exceptions for veterans,&nbsp; homeless people or young adults exiting foster care.

As the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/work-requirements">law stands now</a>, all recipients of federal nutrition aid ages 16 to 59 must either be looking for work, enrolled in a SNAP employment training program, or pulling in wages equivalent to 30 hours per week at the federal minimum wage.

Some exceptions exist, for example, for people who already have a job, are physically or mentally unable, or are caring for a child under 6.

Those considered able-bodied adults ages 18 to 49 are subject to additional rules and must work for pay, attend a training program or volunteer 80 hours a month — though some states can waive these requirements depending on unemployment figures and other factors.

Beneficiaries in that age range who don’t meet the current additional work requirements, and cannot secure an exemption, can only receive SNAP benefits, formerly called food stamps, for three months over a three-year period.

The left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-plan-would-expand-work-requirements-for-food-aid-for-older-adults/">estimated</a>&nbsp;that raising the age to 55 would have put food assistance in jeopardy for roughly 1 million adults without dependents.

In a statement Sunday, the center’s president, Sharon Parrott, called the new proposal a “significant improvement over the radical House bill.”

But she continued: “It is not the deal the country deserves. There are a number of troubling elements, including the provision that will put at risk food assistance for very low-income older adults. This policy will increase hunger and poverty among that group, runs contrary to our nation’s values, and should be rejected. The nation must pay its bills — but that shouldn’t mean enacting legislation that leaves people who already struggle to afford the basics worse off.”

The most conservative wing of the GOP&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/01/07/u-s-house-gop-backs-mccarthy-as-speaker-after-tense-and-chaotic-late-night-session/">demanded</a>&nbsp;McCarthy tie spending cuts to a debt ceiling increase in exchange for their support in securing McCarthy the speaker’s gavel.

The original debt ceiling proposal — the Limit, Save, Grow Act that was narrowly approved by the GOP House majority — included the expanded SNAP work rules along with new work requirements for Medicaid recipients, and for the poorest Americans who rely on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF.

Together those expanded welfare requirements would have cut $100 billion and $120 billion in government spending over the next ten years, according to respective analyses from the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/whats-limit-save-grow-act">Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.moodysanalytics.com/-/media/article/2023/debt-limit-drama.pdf">Moody’s Analytics</a>. But, as both analyses concluded, the Limit, Save, Grow Act’s clawback of new IRS funding, passed in 2022 to modernize tax collection, would have offset that savings by costing the government roughly $100 billion over the next decade.

“Oh, Republicans want to reduce the deficit? I’ve got an easy idea – tax the rich,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RepJayapal/status/1662925238378610689?s=20">tweeted</a>&nbsp;Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Washington congresswoman and head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which is criticizing the White House for agreeing to any new SNAP work requirements.

Some limitations on TANF made it into Saturday’s agreement, but work requirements for Medicaid were dropped.

The Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan body that calculates the cost and savings of legislation, has not yet released its score of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.

Shalanda Young, director of the U.S. Office Management and Budget, said Tuesday at the White House press briefing that the administration does not yet have an estimate for how many SNAP recipients will be subject to the new work requirements.

“Some people who have these requirements now will no longer if they’re homeless, if they’re veterans, if they’re foster youth aged out of the system up to 24. So the analysis is being finalized, but we believe those who are off of those requirements because of those exemptions, will be about the same number as those who are phased in on age,” said Young, who was among the negotiators for the new deal.

“And you have to remember this: This entire SNAP change (will) sunset in 2030 to give Congress a chance to see how the new exemptions work and how the new ages work,” she continued. “And (Congress) can opine on a future farm bill if these changes have made a difference in the SNAP program.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, analyzes the number of beneficiaries and any changes to the program. Nutrition programs make up the majority of the multi-year omnibus legislation referred to as the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12047#:~:text=The%20farm%20bill%20extends%20authorizations,would%20be%20costly%20if%20restored.">farm bill</a>.

Congress is in the process of negotiating a new farm bill, which reauthorizes spending for food and agriculture programs.

The idea for expanding SNAP work requirements&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/03/14/south-dakota-congressman-advocates-expansion-of-work-requirements-for-federal-food-aid/">gained traction in March</a>&nbsp;when Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, introduced the America Works Act, which proposed adjusting the work rules for recipients up to 65.

Johnson’s office did not respond to an inquiry on whether the congressman would push for the tightened rules under the farm bill.

A congressional aide for the GOP-led House Agriculture Committee said the effort is unlikely. Attempts to re-litigate work requirements for SNAP during the farm bill process would present an unnecessary hurdle in drafting and passing a timely, bipartisan farm bill, the aide said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1571410354379.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By ASHLEY MURRAY <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — The holiday weekend debt ceiling deal struck by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy preserves in part new work requirements for some food stamp recipients but now with exceptions for certain populations, including veterans.The agreement released late Saturday night showed concessions from both sides — from GOP members, who wanted to tighten eligibility for not just food stamps but also low-income health care, and from the Democrats, who called such restrictions a nonstarter.The Biden administration and the Republican House majority arrived at a compromise, titled the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the day after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2023/05/27/treasury-secretary-pinpoints-june-5-as-earliest-date-for-u-s-debt-default/">warned</a>&nbsp;the U.S. would default if a deal wasn’t brokered by June 5.Work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and other government benefits were a sticking point during the months of stalemate leading right up to the edge of Treasury exhausting all reserves to pay the nation’s bills.The House is expected to vote on the deal by late evening Wednesday, after which the bill will head to the Democratic-led Senate.<h2>New work rules</h2>The Fiscal Responsibility Act proposes additional work requirements, with a sunset date of 2030, for adults without dependents age 18 to 55, unless the recipient has veteran status, is a homeless person or is under 24 and aging out of the foster care system.The House GOP majority maintains the new rules would “lift Americans out of poverty” and that the “consequential reforms” will “save taxpayer dollars, get Americans back to work, and grow the economy,” according to a document released Saturday by the office of GOP Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota.The move softens McCarthy’s&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-plan-would-expand-work-requirements-for-food-aid-for-older-adults/">original proposal</a>&nbsp;that raised the work requirements for food assistance beneficiaries without dependents up to age 55 without exceptions for veterans,&nbsp; homeless people or young adults exiting foster care.As the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/work-requirements">law stands now</a>, all recipients of federal nutrition aid ages 16 to 59 must either be looking for work, enrolled in a SNAP employment training program, or pulling in wages equivalent to 30 hours per week at the federal minimum wage.Some exceptions exist, for example, for people who already have a job, are physically or mentally unable, or are caring for a child under 6.Those considered able-bodied adults ages 18 to 49 are subject to additional rules and must work for pay, attend a training program or volunteer 80 hours a month — though some states can waive these requirements depending on unemployment figures and other factors.Beneficiaries in that age range who don’t meet the current additional work requirements, and cannot secure an exemption, can only receive SNAP benefits, formerly called food stamps, for three months over a three-year period.The left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://tennesseelookout.com/2023/04/26/u-s-house-gop-plan-would-expand-work-requirements-for-food-aid-for-older-adults/">estimated</a>&nbsp;that raising the age to 55 would have put food assistance in jeopardy for roughly 1 million adults without dependents.In a statement Sunday, the center’s president, Sharon Parrott, called the new proposal a “significant improvement over the radical House bill.”But she continued: “It is not the deal the country deserves. There are a number of troubling elements, including the provision that will put at risk food assistance for very low-income older adults. This policy will increase hunger and poverty among that group, runs contrary to our nation’s values, and should be rejected. The nation must pay its bills — but that shouldn’t mean enacting legislation that leaves people who already struggle to afford the basics worse off.”The most conservative wing of the GOP&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2023/01/07/u-s-house-gop-backs-mccarthy-as-speaker-after-tense-and-chaotic-late-night-session/">demanded</a>&nbsp;McCarthy tie spending cuts to a debt ceiling increase in exchange for their support in securing McCarthy the speaker’s gavel.The original debt ceiling proposal — the Limit, Save, Grow Act that was narrowly approved by the GOP House majority — included the expanded SNAP work rules along with new work requirements for Medicaid recipients, and for the poorest Americans who rely on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF.Together those expanded welfare requirements would have cut $100 billion and $120 billion in government spending over the next ten years, according to respective analyses from the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.crfb.org/blogs/whats-limit-save-grow-act">Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.moodysanalytics.com/-/media/article/2023/debt-limit-drama.pdf">Moody’s Analytics</a>. But, as both analyses concluded, the Limit, Save, Grow Act’s clawback of new IRS funding, passed in 2022 to modernize tax collection, would have offset that savings by costing the government roughly $100 billion over the next decade.“Oh, Republicans want to reduce the deficit? I’ve got an easy idea – tax the rich,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RepJayapal/status/1662925238378610689?s=20">tweeted</a>&nbsp;Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Washington congresswoman and head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, which is criticizing the White House for agreeing to any new SNAP work requirements.Some limitations on TANF made it into Saturday’s agreement, but work requirements for Medicaid were dropped.The Congressional Budget Office, the nonpartisan body that calculates the cost and savings of legislation, has not yet released its score of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.Shalanda Young, director of the U.S. Office Management and Budget, said Tuesday at the White House press briefing that the administration does not yet have an estimate for how many SNAP recipients will be subject to the new work requirements.“Some people who have these requirements now will no longer if they’re homeless, if they’re veterans, if they’re foster youth aged out of the system up to 24. So the analysis is being finalized, but we believe those who are off of those requirements because of those exemptions, will be about the same number as those who are phased in on age,” said Young, who was among the negotiators for the new deal.“And you have to remember this: This entire SNAP change (will) sunset in 2030 to give Congress a chance to see how the new exemptions work and how the new ages work,” she continued. “And (Congress) can opine on a future farm bill if these changes have made a difference in the SNAP program.”<h2>Farm bill</h2>The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which administers SNAP, analyzes the number of beneficiaries and any changes to the program. Nutrition programs make up the majority of the multi-year omnibus legislation referred to as the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12047#:~:text=The%20farm%20bill%20extends%20authorizations,would%20be%20costly%20if%20restored.">farm bill</a>.Congress is in the process of negotiating a new farm bill, which reauthorizes spending for food and agriculture programs.The idea for expanding SNAP work requirements&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/03/14/south-dakota-congressman-advocates-expansion-of-work-requirements-for-federal-food-aid/">gained traction in March</a>&nbsp;when Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, introduced the America Works Act, which proposed adjusting the work rules for recipients up to 65.Johnson’s office did not respond to an inquiry on whether the congressman would push for the tightened rules under the farm bill.A congressional aide for the GOP-led House Agriculture Committee said the effort is unlikely. Attempts to re-litigate work requirements for SNAP during the farm bill process would present an unnecessary hurdle in drafting and passing a timely, bipartisan farm bill, the aide said.

New work requirements for some SNAP recipients included in debt limit deal

By JENNIFER SHUTT AND&nbsp;ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>

WASHINGTON — Congress began moving the bipartisan debt limit package forward Tuesday, though frustrations with provisions in the bill could make for narrow passage in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.

Conservative Republicans and progressive Democrats both aired their disappointment with the agreement&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-mccarthy-say-they-have-brokered-debt-limit-deal-avert-us-default">forged over the weekend</a>, but only GOP lawmakers are looking to possibly remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker because of the deal.

U.S. House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry said Tuesday that conservative Republicans will do whatever they can to block the legislation, arguing the agreement “totally fails to deliver” on conservative priorities.

Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican, declined to directly answer questions about whether the group of about a dozen conservative lawmakers at the press conference would use the so-called motion to vacate to remove McCarthy as speaker.

“I am focused on defeating this bill,” Perry said. “What happens post that … we will decide once we’ve determined the disposition of this bill.”

Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy said there will be a “reckoning” if the debt limit package moves forward following a floor vote and North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop indicated he may move for the floor vote to oust McCarthy as speaker.

The House is expected to vote on Wednesday around 8:30 p.m. Eastern to send the legislation to the Senate, where lawmakers need to approve the measure before Monday. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/treasury-secretary-pinpoints-june-5-earliest-date-us-debt-default">warned last week</a>&nbsp;that if the debt limit is not addressed before that date, the country would begin a default.

The House Rules Committee voted 7-6 Tuesday to advance the bill dealing with the federal debt ceiling to the full House, with two Republicans joining Democrats to oppose.

The House must vote Wednesday to approve the rule before it can move on to formally debate and vote on the bill.

In one late development, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the spending restrictions in the package would reduce deficits by $1.5 trillion over the decade, a top goal for the Republicans trying to curb the debt load.

But in a surprise that could further erode Republican support, the GOP's drive to impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">work requirements on older Americans receiving food stamps</a>&nbsp;ends up boosting spending by $2.1 billion over the time period. That's because the final deal exempted veterans and homeless people, expanding the food stamp rolls by some 78,000 people monthly, the CBO said.

Democrats will be key to moving the bill through the Republican-controlled House, even if some of their members are not entirely happy with the outcome.

Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal said Tuesday the group was undergoing its whip count and determining whether to take an official position on the package.

Jayapal, a Washington Democrat, said the Republican Party “did not win any major concessions on spending” in the agreement, but said the legislation does include some provisions she is “seriously concerned about.”

Jayapal said she is in talks with the White House about how exactly the handshake agreements that aren’t included in bill text would work, especially the promise that some of the funds being clawed back will be redirected to domestic spending in the annual appropriations bills.

She also expressed concerns about the changes to work requirements for two federal safety net programs — Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — and for energy permitting.

“That is a significant problem,” Jayapal said. “I’ve said before that the United States is the only industrialized country that puts these kinds of bureaucratic red tape requirements on people who are just trying to get food for their families.”

Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, who had a heavy hand in negotiations, said during a White House press briefing Tuesday the deal “represents a compromise, which means no one gets everything that they want, and hard choices had to be made.”

Young said the agreement with House Republican leaders protects key legislative priorities of the Biden administration, such as the climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Here’s a look at what’s in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20230529/BILLS-118hrPIH-fiscalresponsibility.pdf">99-page bill</a>:

Debt limit:&nbsp;It would suspend the nation’s debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025, meaning whoever wins the 2024 presidential election will likely negotiate the next agreement with that Congress.

Federal government spending levels:&nbsp;The agreement would cap discretionary spending at $886.35 billion for defense and $703.65 billion for nondefense during fiscal 2024, set to begin Oct. 1. That’s about a 3% increase for defense and roughly flat funding for nondefense.

Spending levels for the following fiscal year, 2025, would be set at $895.21 billion for defense and $710.69 billion for nondefense. That would represent about a 1% boost for nondefense accounts.

Discretionary spending accounts for about one-third of federal spending while mandatory spending on programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security make up the other two-thirds.

Nondefense accounts fund the vast majority of federal departments and agencies, including Agriculture, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, while defense funding goes predominantly to the Pentagon.

Some of the spending on nondefense programs would be paid for by moving around, or repurposing, unspent COVID-19 funding and part of the $80 billion Democrats approved last year for the Internal Revenue Service.

In order to actually achieve those spending levels, the House, Senate and Biden administration must reach agreement on all dozen of the annual appropriations bills in the months ahead.

Tax code:&nbsp;The deal doesn’t include any changes to the tax code, something President Joe Biden pushed for but McCarthy rejected.

Work requirements:&nbsp;The legislation doesn’t alter Medicaid eligibility, but it does make changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Changes to all three were pushed for by Republicans.

TANF recipients could experience some changes to the program on Oct. 1, 2024, while others would go into place a year later on Oct. 1, 2025.

The program now requires states to have 50% of TANF recipients working, though states can lower that threshold based on how much their caseload has fallen since 2005, according to a White House official.

This legislation would set that year to 2015, give states two years to implement the changes and “allow states to do things like spending additional TANF dollars and in exchange being able to get a lower work participation rate because of that,” according to the White House official.

SNAP’s current work requirements for many able-bodied adults extend from age 18 through 49. This bill text says it would raise the ceiling to age 51 during the current fiscal year, to age 53 during the fiscal year slated to begin Oct. 1 and to 55 during fiscal 2025.

Veterans, homeless individuals and people 24 or younger who were in the foster care system when they turned 18 wouldn’t be subject to SNAP’s time limits, according to the White House.

The changes to SNAP would sunset on Oct. 1, 2030.

Energy permitting, student loan repayment

Energy permitting:&nbsp;Members of both political parties&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/overhaul-federal-permitting-part-debt-limit-deal-not-easy-it-sounds">have expressed interest&nbsp;</a>in overhauling how the federal government permits energy projects under the National Environmental Policy Act, known as NEPA.

NEPA requires federal agencies to consider the environmental effects of major federal actions, and the process can take years. Democrats have sought to speed construction for renewable energy projects, and Republicans have complained for years that the burdens of federal permitting restrict development.

The bill amends NEPA by limiting requirements on some projects and requires environmental reviews to be completed in a one- to- two-year time frame.

Separately, the White House agreed to streamline permits for the more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mountainvalleypipeline.info/overview/">$6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline</a>, a decision that has angered environmentalists and climate conscious Democrats.

West Virginia’s Sens. Joe Manchin III, a centrist Democrat, and Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, have lobbied for the approval of the outstanding permits for the more than 300 miles of Mountain Valley Pipeline, also known as MVP, that would deliver gas from West Virginia into Virginia.

As part of the deal, the White House agreed to expedite permits for the long-disputed Appalachian natural gas pipeline, which has been on halt due to court cases brought on by environmentalists who have fought for years to prevent its construction.

Permits for the Mountain Valley Pipeline will be issued within 21 days after the debt ceiling bill is signed into law, according to the bill text. It also bars any judicial review of permits issued for the pipeline project by any government agency.

“I am pleased Speaker McCarthy and his leadership team see the tremendous value in completing the MVP to increase domestic energy production and drive down costs across America and especially in West Virginia,” Manchin, the chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources panel, said in a statement. “I am proud to have fought for this critical project and to have secured the bipartisan support necessary to get it across the finish line.”

The MVP has had more than 500 violations in state environmental laws, regulations and permit conditions,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://appvoices.org/resources/reports/MVP_Report_2023_AppalachianVoices.pdf">according to a report</a>&nbsp;by the environmental group Appalachian Voices.

COVID-19 funds:&nbsp;The agreement rescinds, or claws back, about $28 billion in some of the unspent federal funding that was approved during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal student loan repayment pause:&nbsp;The bill would codify the end of the pause on federal student loan repayments by August and bar the administration from reinstating a pause on repayments unless approved by Congress.

The Biden administration<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/27/student-loan-repayment-pause-extended-by-white-house-amid-legal-battles-over-relief-plan/">&nbsp;announced last year</a>&nbsp;its plans to resume requiring repayments on student loans either after the Supreme Court’s decision on the administration’s student debt cancellation policy or 60 days after June 30.

A pause on student loan repayments was first enacted in 2020 by the Trump administration due to the coronavirus pandemic, and later extended by the Biden administration.

The Biden administration’s one-time student debt cancellation has been a target for Republicans.<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/24/biden-student-debt-relief-plan-revoked-in-u-s-house-vote/">&nbsp;Last week</a>, the House voted to overturn the policy that would cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who qualify. The Senate is expected to vote on the resolution of disapproval this week, where if passed, it would block the policy. The White House has vowed to veto it.

Internal Revenue Service funding:&nbsp;The agreement would allow Congress to pull $10 billion during fiscal 2024 and another $10 billion during fiscal 2025 from the IRS to pay for other domestic spending initiatives, according to the White House.

The money would come from the $80 billion boost to the IRS that Democrats approved last August as part of their signature climate change, health care and tax package known as the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA.

The $20 billion claw back provision is not in the bill text, which only includes a $1.39 billion rescission to that IRS funding.

-The Associated Press contributed to this report

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/5/1685494918057.png" alt="U.S. House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry said Tuesday that conservative Republicans will do whatever they can to block the legislation." />
 <figcaption>U.S. House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry said Tuesday that conservative Republicans will do whatever they can to block the legislation.</figcaption>
 </figure>By JENNIFER SHUTT AND&nbsp;ARIANA FIGUEROA&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/03/30/u-s-judge-rules-insurers-dont-have-to-cover-many-free-preventive-health-services/">States Newsroom</a>WASHINGTON — Congress began moving the bipartisan debt limit package forward Tuesday, though frustrations with provisions in the bill could make for narrow passage in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.<a href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20230529/BILLS-118hrPIH-fiscalresponsibility.pdf">Click here to read&nbsp;</a>the billConservative Republicans and progressive Democrats both aired their disappointment with the agreement&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/biden-mccarthy-say-they-have-brokered-debt-limit-deal-avert-us-default">forged over the weekend</a>, but only GOP lawmakers are looking to possibly remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker because of the deal.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">CBO’s Estimate of the Budgetary Effects of H.R. 3746, the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 <a href="https://t.co/k8rMbCevVk">https://t.co/k8rMbCevVk</a>&mdash; CBO Cost Estimates (@USCBOcostest) <a href="https://twitter.com/USCBOcostest/status/1663683359535513600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. House Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry said Tuesday that conservative Republicans will do whatever they can to block the legislation, arguing the agreement “totally fails to deliver” on conservative priorities.Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican, declined to directly answer questions about whether the group of about a dozen conservative lawmakers at the press conference would use the so-called motion to vacate to remove McCarthy as speaker.“I am focused on defeating this bill,” Perry said. “What happens post that … we will decide once we’ve determined the disposition of this bill.”Texas GOP Rep. Chip Roy said there will be a “reckoning” if the debt limit package moves forward following a floor vote and North Carolina Rep. Dan Bishop indicated he may move for the floor vote to oust McCarthy as speaker.The House is expected to vote on Wednesday around 8:30 p.m. Eastern to send the legislation to the Senate, where lawmakers need to approve the measure before Monday. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/treasury-secretary-pinpoints-june-5-earliest-date-us-debt-default">warned last week</a>&nbsp;that if the debt limit is not addressed before that date, the country would begin a default.The House Rules Committee voted 7-6 Tuesday to advance the bill dealing with the federal debt ceiling to the full House, with two Republicans joining Democrats to oppose.The House must vote Wednesday to approve the rule before it can move on to formally debate and vote on the bill.In one late development, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said the spending restrictions in the package would reduce deficits by $1.5 trillion over the decade, a top goal for the Republicans trying to curb the debt load.But in a surprise that could further erode Republican support, the GOP's drive to impose&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/debt-limit-work-requirements-snap-medicaid-biden-66270829cfc0009ddb5f59eb12a6ba7a">work requirements on older Americans receiving food stamps</a>&nbsp;ends up boosting spending by $2.1 billion over the time period. That's because the final deal exempted veterans and homeless people, expanding the food stamp rolls by some 78,000 people monthly, the CBO said.<h2>Concern among progressives</h2>Democrats will be key to moving the bill through the Republican-controlled House, even if some of their members are not entirely happy with the outcome.Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal said Tuesday the group was undergoing its whip count and determining whether to take an official position on the package.Jayapal, a Washington Democrat, said the Republican Party “did not win any major concessions on spending” in the agreement, but said the legislation does include some provisions she is “seriously concerned about.”Jayapal said she is in talks with the White House about how exactly the handshake agreements that aren’t included in bill text would work, especially the promise that some of the funds being clawed back will be redirected to domestic spending in the annual appropriations bills.She also expressed concerns about the changes to work requirements for two federal safety net programs — Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — and for energy permitting.“That is a significant problem,” Jayapal said. “I’ve said before that the United States is the only industrialized country that puts these kinds of bureaucratic red tape requirements on people who are just trying to get food for their families.”Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young, who had a heavy hand in negotiations, said during a White House press briefing Tuesday the deal “represents a compromise, which means no one gets everything that they want, and hard choices had to be made.”Young said the agreement with House Republican leaders protects key legislative priorities of the Biden administration, such as the climate provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act.<h2>Debt limit, tax code, work requirements</h2>Here’s a look at what’s in the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20230529/BILLS-118hrPIH-fiscalresponsibility.pdf">99-page bill</a>:Debt limit:&nbsp;It would suspend the nation’s debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025, meaning whoever wins the 2024 presidential election will likely negotiate the next agreement with that Congress.Federal government spending levels:&nbsp;The agreement would cap discretionary spending at $886.35 billion for defense and $703.65 billion for nondefense during fiscal 2024, set to begin Oct. 1. That’s about a 3% increase for defense and roughly flat funding for nondefense.Spending levels for the following fiscal year, 2025, would be set at $895.21 billion for defense and $710.69 billion for nondefense. That would represent about a 1% boost for nondefense accounts.Discretionary spending accounts for about one-third of federal spending while mandatory spending on programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security make up the other two-thirds.Nondefense accounts fund the vast majority of federal departments and agencies, including Agriculture, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs, while defense funding goes predominantly to the Pentagon.Some of the spending on nondefense programs would be paid for by moving around, or repurposing, unspent COVID-19 funding and part of the $80 billion Democrats approved last year for the Internal Revenue Service.In order to actually achieve those spending levels, the House, Senate and Biden administration must reach agreement on all dozen of the annual appropriations bills in the months ahead.Tax code:&nbsp;The deal doesn’t include any changes to the tax code, something President Joe Biden pushed for but McCarthy rejected.Work requirements:&nbsp;The legislation doesn’t alter Medicaid eligibility, but it does make changes to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Changes to all three were pushed for by Republicans.TANF recipients could experience some changes to the program on Oct. 1, 2024, while others would go into place a year later on Oct. 1, 2025.The program now requires states to have 50% of TANF recipients working, though states can lower that threshold based on how much their caseload has fallen since 2005, according to a White House official.This legislation would set that year to 2015, give states two years to implement the changes and “allow states to do things like spending additional TANF dollars and in exchange being able to get a lower work participation rate because of that,” according to the White House official.SNAP’s current work requirements for many able-bodied adults extend from age 18 through 49. This bill text says it would raise the ceiling to age 51 during the current fiscal year, to age 53 during the fiscal year slated to begin Oct. 1 and to 55 during fiscal 2025.Veterans, homeless individuals and people 24 or younger who were in the foster care system when they turned 18 wouldn’t be subject to SNAP’s time limits, according to the White House.The changes to SNAP would sunset on Oct. 1, 2030.<h2>Energy permitting, student loan repayment</h2>Energy permitting:&nbsp;Members of both political parties&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/overhaul-federal-permitting-part-debt-limit-deal-not-easy-it-sounds">have expressed interest&nbsp;</a>in overhauling how the federal government permits energy projects under the National Environmental Policy Act, known as NEPA.NEPA requires federal agencies to consider the environmental effects of major federal actions, and the process can take years. Democrats have sought to speed construction for renewable energy projects, and Republicans have complained for years that the burdens of federal permitting restrict development.The bill amends NEPA by limiting requirements on some projects and requires environmental reviews to be completed in a one- to- two-year time frame.Separately, the White House agreed to streamline permits for the more than&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.mountainvalleypipeline.info/overview/">$6 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline</a>, a decision that has angered environmentalists and climate conscious Democrats.West Virginia’s Sens. Joe Manchin III, a centrist Democrat, and Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican, have lobbied for the approval of the outstanding permits for the more than 300 miles of Mountain Valley Pipeline, also known as MVP, that would deliver gas from West Virginia into Virginia.As part of the deal, the White House agreed to expedite permits for the long-disputed Appalachian natural gas pipeline, which has been on halt due to court cases brought on by environmentalists who have fought for years to prevent its construction.Permits for the Mountain Valley Pipeline will be issued within 21 days after the debt ceiling bill is signed into law, according to the bill text. It also bars any judicial review of permits issued for the pipeline project by any government agency.“I am pleased Speaker McCarthy and his leadership team see the tremendous value in completing the MVP to increase domestic energy production and drive down costs across America and especially in West Virginia,” Manchin, the chair of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources panel, said in a statement. “I am proud to have fought for this critical project and to have secured the bipartisan support necessary to get it across the finish line.”The MVP has had more than 500 violations in state environmental laws, regulations and permit conditions,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://appvoices.org/resources/reports/MVP_Report_2023_AppalachianVoices.pdf">according to a report</a>&nbsp;by the environmental group Appalachian Voices.COVID-19 funds:&nbsp;The agreement rescinds, or claws back, about $28 billion in some of the unspent federal funding that was approved during the COVID-19 pandemic.Federal student loan repayment pause:&nbsp;The bill would codify the end of the pause on federal student loan repayments by August and bar the administration from reinstating a pause on repayments unless approved by Congress.The Biden administration<a target="_blank" href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/11/27/student-loan-repayment-pause-extended-by-white-house-amid-legal-battles-over-relief-plan/">&nbsp;announced last year</a>&nbsp;its plans to resume requiring repayments on student loans either after the Supreme Court’s decision on the administration’s student debt cancellation policy or 60 days after June 30.A pause on student loan repayments was first enacted in 2020 by the Trump administration due to the coronavirus pandemic, and later extended by the Biden administration.The Biden administration’s one-time student debt cancellation has been a target for Republicans.<a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2023/05/24/biden-student-debt-relief-plan-revoked-in-u-s-house-vote/">&nbsp;Last week</a>, the House voted to overturn the policy that would cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers who qualify. The Senate is expected to vote on the resolution of disapproval this week, where if passed, it would block the policy. The White House has vowed to veto it.Internal Revenue Service funding:&nbsp;The agreement would allow Congress to pull $10 billion during fiscal 2024 and another $10 billion during fiscal 2025 from the IRS to pay for other domestic spending initiatives, according to the White House.The money would come from the $80 billion boost to the IRS that Democrats approved last August as part of their signature climate change, health care and tax package known as the Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA.The $20 billion claw back provision is not in the bill text, which only includes a $1.39 billion rescission to that IRS funding.-The Associated Press contributed to this report

Debt limit deal hits turbulence in Congress as leaders prep for vote

BRYAN, Texas (AP) — Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes entered a Texas prison Tuesday where she could spend the next 11 years for overseeing a blood-testing hoax that became a parable&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-fraud-theranos-prison-silicon-valley-9552b17d0c03f81c71b53fb4a994462b">about greed and hubris in Silicon Valley.</a>

Holmes, 39, could be seen from outside the prison’s gates walking into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-federal-prison-camp-bryan-texas-e5d4d3980ee6c3e6dfd0987a2d35b90d">federal women’s prison camp located in Bryan, Texas</a>, wearing jeans, a brown sweater and smiling as she spoke with two prison employees accompanying her.

The minimum-security facility — where the federal judge who sentenced Holmes in November recommended she be incarcerated — is about 95 miles (150 kilometers) northwest of Houston, where she grew up aspiring to become a technology visionary along the lines of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

As she begins her sentence, Holmes is leaving behind two young children — a son born in July 2021 a few weeks before the start of her trial and a 3-month old daughter who was conceived after a jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-trial-theranos-ceo-fb79a29d3c426a5cadee7ec5734b6f24">convicted her on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy</a>&nbsp;in January 2022.

She was free on bail up until Tuesday, most recently living in the San Diego area with the children's father, William “Billy” Evans. The couple met in 2017 around the same time Holmes was under investigation for the collapse of Theranos, a startup she founded after dropping out of Stanford University when she was just 19.

While she was building up Theranos, Holmes grew closer to Ramesh, “Sunny” Balwani, who would become her romantic partner as well as an investor and fellow executive in the Palo Alto, California, company.

Together, Holmes and Balwani promised Theranos would revolutionize health care with a technology that could quickly scan for diseases and other problems with a few drops of blood taken with a finger prick.

The hype surrounding that purported breakthrough helped Theranos raise nearly $1 billion from enthralled investors, assemble an influential board of directors that include former Presidential cabinet members George Shultz, Henry Kissinger and James Mattis and turned Holmes into a Silicon Valley sensation with a fortune valued at $4.5 billion on paper in 2014.

But it all blew up after serious dangerous flaws in Theranos' technology&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/theranos-has-struggled-with-blood-tests-1444881901">were exposed in a series of explosive articles in The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;that Holmes and Balwani tried to thwart. Holmes and Balwani, who had been secretly living together while running Theranos, broke up after the Journal's revelations and the company collapsed. In 2018, the U.S. Justice Department charged both with a litany of white-collar crimes in a case aimed at putting a stop to the Silicon Valley practice of overselling the capabilities of a still-developing technology — a technique that became known as “fake it 'til you make it.”

Holmes admitted making mistakes at Theranos, but steadfastly denied committing crimes during seven often-fascinating days of testimony on the witness stand during her trial. At one point, she told the jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-health-elizabeth-holmes-027bb063c784b99034e0a9840cb03a08">about being sexually and emotionally abused by Balwani</a>&nbsp;while he controlled her in ways that she said clouded her thinking. Balwani's attorney steadfastly denied Holmes allegations, which was one of the key reasons they were tried separately.

Balwani, 57, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ramesh-balwani-theranos-verdict-d9fb19f13a1c930a6ff091dff10a0b5d">convicted on 12 felony counts of fraud and conspiracy</a>&nbsp;in a trial that began two months after Holmes' ended. He is currently serving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-technology-business-crime-sentencing-d3ce3925bbe9e82708054730d4dcf75c">a nearly 13-year sentence</a>&nbsp;in a Southern California prison.

Maintaining she was treated unfairly during the trial, Holmes sought to remain free while she appeals her conviction. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-prison-theranos-fraud-conviction-46471e11f615b8ce16114c22551477aa">that bid was rejected by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila,</a>&nbsp;who presided over her trial, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-theranos-prison-e1f8ebdd48455d7e0c87f450d665a404">the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals,</a>&nbsp;leaving her no other avenue left to follow but the one that will take her to prison nearly 20 years after she founded Theranos.

Attorneys representing Holmes did not immediately respond when contacted by The Associated Press for statement on Tuesday.

FPC Bryan, a minimum-security prison camp located encompasses about 37 acres (15 hectares) of land and houses about 650 women — including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fraud-park-city-7b2be37b6ef11f380077726c919ec9ef">“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jennifer Shah</a>, who was sentenced earlier this year to 6 1/2 years in prison for defrauding thousands of people in a yearslong telemarketing scam.

Most federal prison camps don’t even have fences and house those the Bureau of Prisons considers to be the lowest security risk. The prison camps also often have minimal staffing and many of the people incarcerated there work at prison jobs.

According to a 2016 FPC Bryan inmate handbook, those in the Texas facility who are eligible to work can earn between 12 cents and $1.15 per hour in their job assignments, which include food service roles and factory employment operated by Federal Prison Industries.

Federal prison camps were originally designed with low security to make operations easier and to allow inmates tasked with performing work at the prison, like landscaping and maintenance, to avoid repeatedly checking in and out of a main prison facility. But the lax security opened a gateway for contraband, such as drugs, cellphones and weapons. The limited security has also led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-prisons-prison-breaks-business-c1979d6ad6e7b3531968dab0e61eb22d">a number of escapes</a>&nbsp;from prison camps.

BRYAN, Texas (AP) — Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes entered a Texas prison Tuesday where she could spend the next 11 years for overseeing a blood-testing hoax that became a parable&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-fraud-theranos-prison-silicon-valley-9552b17d0c03f81c71b53fb4a994462b">about greed and hubris in Silicon Valley.</a><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes arrives at the Texas prison where she’ll serve her 11-year sentence for overseeing a blood-testing hoax that garnered national attention.<a href="https://t.co/fhOVVYa0b0">https://t.co/fhOVVYa0b0</a> <a href="https://t.co/uNYDv7CcIA">pic.twitter.com/uNYDv7CcIA</a>&mdash; The Associated Press (@AP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/1663615507801714688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Holmes, 39, could be seen from outside the prison’s gates walking into the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-federal-prison-camp-bryan-texas-e5d4d3980ee6c3e6dfd0987a2d35b90d">federal women’s prison camp located in Bryan, Texas</a>, wearing jeans, a brown sweater and smiling as she spoke with two prison employees accompanying her.The minimum-security facility — where the federal judge who sentenced Holmes in November recommended she be incarcerated — is about 95 miles (150 kilometers) northwest of Houston, where she grew up aspiring to become a technology visionary along the lines of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.As she begins her sentence, Holmes is leaving behind two young children — a son born in July 2021 a few weeks before the start of her trial and a 3-month old daughter who was conceived after a jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-trial-theranos-ceo-fb79a29d3c426a5cadee7ec5734b6f24">convicted her on four felony counts of fraud and conspiracy</a>&nbsp;in January 2022.She was free on bail up until Tuesday, most recently living in the San Diego area with the children's father, William “Billy” Evans. The couple met in 2017 around the same time Holmes was under investigation for the collapse of Theranos, a startup she founded after dropping out of Stanford University when she was just 19.While she was building up Theranos, Holmes grew closer to Ramesh, “Sunny” Balwani, who would become her romantic partner as well as an investor and fellow executive in the Palo Alto, California, company.Together, Holmes and Balwani promised Theranos would revolutionize health care with a technology that could quickly scan for diseases and other problems with a few drops of blood taken with a finger prick.The hype surrounding that purported breakthrough helped Theranos raise nearly $1 billion from enthralled investors, assemble an influential board of directors that include former Presidential cabinet members George Shultz, Henry Kissinger and James Mattis and turned Holmes into a Silicon Valley sensation with a fortune valued at $4.5 billion on paper in 2014.But it all blew up after serious dangerous flaws in Theranos' technology&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/theranos-has-struggled-with-blood-tests-1444881901">were exposed in a series of explosive articles in The Wall Street Journal</a>&nbsp;that Holmes and Balwani tried to thwart. Holmes and Balwani, who had been secretly living together while running Theranos, broke up after the Journal's revelations and the company collapsed. In 2018, the U.S. Justice Department charged both with a litany of white-collar crimes in a case aimed at putting a stop to the Silicon Valley practice of overselling the capabilities of a still-developing technology — a technique that became known as “fake it 'til you make it.”Holmes admitted making mistakes at Theranos, but steadfastly denied committing crimes during seven often-fascinating days of testimony on the witness stand during her trial. At one point, she told the jury&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-health-elizabeth-holmes-027bb063c784b99034e0a9840cb03a08">about being sexually and emotionally abused by Balwani</a>&nbsp;while he controlled her in ways that she said clouded her thinking. Balwani's attorney steadfastly denied Holmes allegations, which was one of the key reasons they were tried separately.Balwani, 57, was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/ramesh-balwani-theranos-verdict-d9fb19f13a1c930a6ff091dff10a0b5d">convicted on 12 felony counts of fraud and conspiracy</a>&nbsp;in a trial that began two months after Holmes' ended. He is currently serving&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-technology-business-crime-sentencing-d3ce3925bbe9e82708054730d4dcf75c">a nearly 13-year sentence</a>&nbsp;in a Southern California prison.Maintaining she was treated unfairly during the trial, Holmes sought to remain free while she appeals her conviction. But&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-prison-theranos-fraud-conviction-46471e11f615b8ce16114c22551477aa">that bid was rejected by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila,</a>&nbsp;who presided over her trial, and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/elizabeth-holmes-theranos-prison-e1f8ebdd48455d7e0c87f450d665a404">the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals,</a>&nbsp;leaving her no other avenue left to follow but the one that will take her to prison nearly 20 years after she founded Theranos.Attorneys representing Holmes did not immediately respond when contacted by The Associated Press for statement on Tuesday.FPC Bryan, a minimum-security prison camp located encompasses about 37 acres (15 hectares) of land and houses about 650 women — including&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/fraud-park-city-7b2be37b6ef11f380077726c919ec9ef">“Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Jennifer Shah</a>, who was sentenced earlier this year to 6 1/2 years in prison for defrauding thousands of people in a yearslong telemarketing scam.Most federal prison camps don’t even have fences and house those the Bureau of Prisons considers to be the lowest security risk. The prison camps also often have minimal staffing and many of the people incarcerated there work at prison jobs.According to a 2016 FPC Bryan inmate handbook, those in the Texas facility who are eligible to work can earn between 12 cents and $1.15 per hour in their job assignments, which include food service roles and factory employment operated by Federal Prison Industries.Federal prison camps were originally designed with low security to make operations easier and to allow inmates tasked with performing work at the prison, like landscaping and maintenance, to avoid repeatedly checking in and out of a main prison facility. But the lax security opened a gateway for contraband, such as drugs, cellphones and weapons. The limited security has also led to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-prisons-prison-breaks-business-c1979d6ad6e7b3531968dab0e61eb22d">a number of escapes</a>&nbsp;from prison camps.In November, a man incarcerated at another federal prison camp in Arizona&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-arizona-tucson-government-and-politics-319595c5a1a393f0734641443dd46df4">pulled out a smuggled gun</a>&nbsp;in a visitation area and tried to shoot his wife in the head. The gun jammed and no one was injured. But the incident exposed major security flaws at the facility and the agency’s director&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-arizona-tucson-protocols-government-and-politics-3239362e75ad9a6c9a81f1a53210ad13">ordered a review of security</a>&nbsp;at all federal prison camps around the U.S.____________