The GOP tax scam is the disaster that just keeps on giving. The latest consequence is an accelerated debt ceiling deadline. Because revenues to the government have fallen so short of projections (which is what happens when the superrich and corporations no longer pay taxes), the borrowing limit will be reached a good six weeks ahead of schedule, in mid-September.
That means that the White House, or at least Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, is desperate to cut a deal with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi before lawmakers leave for the August recess in a few weeks, an unlikely timeline. Pelosi is pushing for a large deal, one that includes a two-year budget deal, and that can't be negotiated by August. She has a bargaining chip in the form of the revised North American Free Trade deal, a major priority for the White House, which is in her hands—without a vote in the House, it can't move forward. To say there are many moving parts in this situation is an understatement.
It also all plays out against the ongoing Trump-caused humanitarian crisis at the border and the White House's ignoring of Congress's constitutional prerogative on spending by spending more money on migrant detention centers than Congress gave it. On top of all that, add in the internal Democratic debacle caused by the border funding bill last month and the very real fear on the part of Democrats that giving Trump an inch on anything to do with funding anything will mean more money spent on terrorizing more immigrant families.
Pelosi, rightly, refuses to negotiate with anyone but Mnuchin. Acting White House chief of staff and official Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, she says, has "no credibility" on any of this, since he's the guy who believes government shutdowns are viable policy choices. Mnuchin insists, "We just want it passed. We don't care how it's passed," and it has to happen by August. "It’s not going to happen. […] I don't believe it will be done before the August recess," says Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who works closely with Pelosi.
At this point, the House needs an assist from Senate Democrats, who completely abdicated all responsibility in the border funding bill. Democratic Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer needs to get his conference together, and he needs to tell them that they will have to make Mitch McConnell pass this one without their help, unless he works with Pelosi. As former Harry Reid staffer and strategist Adam Jentleson points out, 16 Republicans voted against raising the debt ceiling the last time. Schumer needs to tell McConnell that he has to figure out how to pass it without Democrats, or pass a spending bill that Democrats will support, which would include something about ending the caging of children. That would give leverage back to Pelosi and help her mend some critical fences.
That, and Senate Democrats should just fucking stop giving McConnell and Trump any votes on anything. They don't have the votes to stop much, but there's absolutely no reason for giving McConnell votes and giving any Republican a pass on any vote. Make McConnell and Republicans find their majority votes in their majority.