US House of Representatives Passes Bill to Raise Debt Ceiling

The US Capitol. (AFP) 
The US Capitol. (AFP) 
TT

US House of Representatives Passes Bill to Raise Debt Ceiling

The US Capitol. (AFP) 
The US Capitol. (AFP) 

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed on Wednesday legislation negotiated by President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy to suspend the debt ceiling to avoid a default.

The House voted 314-117 to send the legislation to the Senate, which must enact the measure and get it to US President Joe Biden's desk. A total of 71 Republicans and 46 Democrats opposed it.

The clock is ticking for the Congress and the Administration. As the default date approaches on the fifth of June, according to the US Department of the Treasury, eyes are on the Senate which hasn’t started to look into the 99-page bill.

The bill requires the approval of all 100 members in order to directly vote on its content without adding amendments.

The Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has failed so far to convince his colleagues to let go of their reservations and abstain from suggesting amendments. If this happens, then the voting could fail to meet the deadline.

However, the main obstacle that faces the bill is the Democrats who objected to the Administration’s approval of the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, who helped kill off the pipeline’s progress late last year, told reporters “I’m insisting on an amendment.”

“I have had to defeat this already four or five times, and I have been able to do it. I never thought they’d put it on a debt ceiling bill,” he added.

Despite reservations, the debt ceiling will likely be raised. The question is: will this happen before June 5?



Iran’s Khamenei Calls for Death Sentence for Israeli Leaders

A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him addressing the crowd during a meeting with members of the Basij volunteer militia in Tehran on November 25, 2024. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)
A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him addressing the crowd during a meeting with members of the Basij volunteer militia in Tehran on November 25, 2024. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)
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Iran’s Khamenei Calls for Death Sentence for Israeli Leaders

A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him addressing the crowd during a meeting with members of the Basij volunteer militia in Tehran on November 25, 2024. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)
A handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei shows him addressing the crowd during a meeting with members of the Basij volunteer militia in Tehran on November 25, 2024. (KHAMENEI.IR / AFP)

The supreme leader of Iran, which backs the Hamas and Hezbollah fighters combating Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, said on Monday that death sentences should be issued for Israeli leaders, not arrest warrants.

Ali Khamenei was commenting on a decision by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense chief and a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri.

"They issued an arrest warrant, that's not enough... Death sentence must be issued for these criminal leaders", Khamenei said, referring to the Israeli leaders.

In their decision, the ICC judges said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant were criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution and starvation as a weapon of war as part of a "widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza".

The decision was met with outrage in Israel, which called it shameful and absurd. Gaza residents expressed hope it would help end the violence and bring those responsible for war crimes to justice.

Israel has rejected the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court and denies war crimes in Gaza.

The warrant for a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, lists charges of mass killings during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel that triggered the war on the long-blockaded Palestinian enclave, and also charges of rape and the taking of hostages.

Israel has said it killed Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, in an airstrike in July but Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied this.