Full List of Democrat Senators Who Voted Against Debt Ceiling Deal

President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy's debt limit deal narrowly passed the Senate on Thursday, by 63 voted to 36, despite facing opposition from both Republicans and Democrats.

In total five senators who caucus with the Democrats voted against the bill, including veteran left-winger Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts' Elizabeth Warren.

The agreement, which will almost certainly be signed into law by Biden, is designed to prevent a historic first debt default in U.S. history, which had been due to take place in early June.

Senators Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley and John Fetterman joined Sanders and Warren to make up the five Democratic rebels. The legislation was also opposed by 31 Republicans, while 46 Democrats and 17 Republicans voted in favor. The bill required 60 votes to pass, meaning it could not have done so without bipartisan support.

Under the terms of the agreement, which was announced by Biden and McCarthy on Sunday, the U.S. debt ceiling will be raised from its current $31.5 trillion limit over the next couple of years, avoiding a default. In return, spending, excluding on the military and veterans, will remain "roughly flat" in 2024, then only rise by around one percent in 2025. The bill also introduces tougher work requirements for those on food assistance programs, and withdrew funding from a plan to hire thousands more Internal Revenue Service agents.

Some left-wing Democrats opposed the deal, arguing it imposed too many cuts, while right-wing Republicans claimed it didn't go anywhere near far enough.

Sanders explained his decision to vote against the bill on Twitter, commenting: "I will be voting no on the debt limit deal because you do not do deficit reduction on the backs of Americans who are already struggling."

The Vermont politician added: "You don't do deficit reduction in any moral sense on the backs of some of the people in this country who are barely making it right now."

Fetterman said he voted against the agreement because of the tougher food assistance program requirements, accusing Republicans of being "more obsessed with hurting poor people than holding banks accountable" on Twitter.

However he added: "As I communicated to leadership and the White House, I would have voted to avoid default if it would have made the difference. All in all, this was a tough vote and an ugly situation manufactured by extortionists."

Following her Senate vote Warren commented: "Time and time again, Congressional Republicans show us that they'd much rather help giant corporations than working people. I'm done being surprised, but I'm not done fighting to stop them."

Biden welcomed the Senate's decision, emphasizing the bipartisan nature of the deal.

He said: "Tonight, senators from both parties voted to protect the hard-earned economic progress we have made and prevent a first-ever default by the United States.

"Our work is far from finished, but this agreement is a critical step forward, and a reminder of what's possible when we act in the best interests of our country."

On Wednesday the bill easily passed the House of Representatives, by 314 votes to 117, with a majority of both Democrats and Republicans in favor.