Budget deal

McConnell 'The Turtle" defends budget deal 

By Seung Min Kim

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday defended a two-year budget deal he struck with other congressional leaders and the White House, declaring reforms to Social Security included in the package a key win for Republicans even as some conservatives rejected the accord.

“I think the agreement speaks for itself,” McConnell told reporters on Tuesday. “The debt ceiling is a part of it, and it has along with it, other matters, including what we have said from the beginning was essential to get Republican support for raising the debt ceiling, which is entitlement reform of some significance.”

In particular, McConnell touted changes to Social Security, including provisions meant to root out fraud and bolster eligibility requirements for the disability insurance program.

“The disability provisions of this agreement are the first major reform of Social Security since 1983, the deal between Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill,” McConnell said. “Doesn’t look like a clean debt ceiling to me.”

Congressional negotiators struck a deal late Monday that staves off a potential default on the nation’s debt and also sets the budget for two years — delaying any debt limit drama until March 2017 and helping to reduce the threat of government shutdowns through the November 2016 elections. The agreement boosts both domestic and defense spending by roughly $80 billion over two years, as well as an additional $16 billion per year from a war contingency fund that is not subject to budget caps on discretionary spending.

Some Republicans have raised concerns about provisions in the budget deal. For example, Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) said Tuesday he would not vote for the agreement because of changes to the crop insurance program used to pay for some of the increased spending. Several conservatives had issues with lifting the spending caps, even if they were offset with savings elsewhere. And other Republicans complained about process.

Meanwhile, Democrats on Capitol Hill appeared largely on board with the budget agreement. Outside progressive groups fired off preemptive warning shots against the pending Social Security provisions earlier Monday. But by Tuesday, liberal resistance had quickly simmered down.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said earlier Tuesday that he had some questions regarding the Social Security eligibility changes, saying he wanted to know more about “the burden it’s putting on disabled people to prove their disability when already, their lives are pretty difficult.” But he cautioned that he hadn’t gone through the details.

“I feel confident that the vast majority of Democrats will” support the budget agreement, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said.