The United States Senate on Thursday voted to extend the country’s debt ceiling until December 3, 2021 and broke a filibuster that required at least 10 Republican lawmakers to vote “yes”. The vote ended with a tally of 61-38.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Kentucky), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), John Cornyn (Texas) and Senate Minority Whip John Thune (South Dakota) were on the list of GOP lawmakers who voted to break the filibuster.
The United States Senate will now go on a final passage vote that will only require a simple majority, something which Democratic lawmakers in the legislative house can garner without the use of Republican support.
The legislation will then make its way to the House of Representatives, where the Democrats also maintain a stronghold. If approved, United States President Joe Biden will then sign the legislation into law to extend the country’s debt limit till December 3, 2021.
Senator Ted Cruz (Texas), Rick Scott (Florida) and Chuck Grassley (Iowa) voted against the legislation.
After the filibuster vote ended on Thursday, Senate majority leader and prominent Democratic lawmaker Chuck Schumer took the stand gave a statement. The New York Senator, while thanking the Senate for passing the legislation, also took on Republicans and asked for their support when the Senate votes on the same matter again.
In a tweet after the Senate session, Schumer wrote, “The Senate has passed an extension of the debt limit avoiding a first-ever, Republican-manufactured default on the national debt.”
A follow-up tweet read, “With America honoring its full faith and credit: Senate Democrats are continuing our work to Build Back Better, help people and families, fight climate change, create the good-paying jobs of tomorrow, and rekindle that optimism that has long been the core of America’s identity.”