Medicare was among government spending programs that remained untouched after the House of Representatives passed legislation that would see the debt ceiling suspended until Jan. 1, 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported May 31.
The so-called Fiscal Responsibility Act, which now goes to the Senate, trimmed some discretionary spending, including imposing new restrictions on claiming food assistance, but bigger programs like Medicare and Social Security were left alone.
The legislation passed 314-117 with opposition from both some Democrats and Republicans. Some Republican senators are expected to insist on amendments to the legislation once it reaches them, the report said.
Overall, the passage to the Senate was a victory for bipartisanship, something that President Joe Biden had insisted on.
"I support it without hesitation or reservation or trepidation, not because it's perfect," said Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, House minority leader. "But in divided government, we of course cannot allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good."
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the U.S. has until June 5 to pass such legislation before it starts to default on its debt.