US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a news conference following Senate Republican policy luncheons at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on May 31, 2023. Congressional leaders were racing to secure backing for a cross-party deal to raise the US debt limit and avert a first-ever default as they faced a growing backlash from conservatives ahead of a crucial Wednesday evening vote. The Fiscal Responsibility Act -- hammered out between Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Democratic President Joe Biden -- needs a simple majority to clear the 435-member Republican-controlled House of Representatives and head to the Senate. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)