Apostle of bipartisanship: why US debt ceiling deal was a victory for Joe Biden

Bipartisan agreement to raise the $31.4tn debt ceiling passed US House, allowing president to argue only he can bridge divide

Sometimes presidencies are about things that don't happen. Joe Biden will be breathing a mighty sigh of relief that the economic asteroid hurtling towards planet earth turned into a near miss: America is apparently not going to default on his watch.

As a bipartisan deal to raise the $31.4tn debt ceiling passed the House of Representatives on Thursday, Biden could also claim vindication for the underlying theory of his presidency: that in the age of polarisation it takes an apostle of bipartisanship and a 36-year veteran of the Senate to reach across the aisle and make deals with his opponents.