arm-twist

The spending plan narrowly cleared a preliminary vote in the Senate late on Saturday after party leaders scrambled to arm-twist hesitant members of their rank and file.

As long as the Soviet threat hovered across the horizon, Washington could persuade or arm-twist allies, and even some neutral countries, to go along with U.S. policies—even when those policies didn’t suit their interests.

“And so, what we must do is to persuade — or arm-twist — the juntas, who at any event have no capacity to run those countries, to commit to what I call, timely redemocratization,” he added.

The House Republicans called the rules the "latest attempt to carry out President Biden’s radical rush-to-green agenda, which will take away Americans’ choice when it comes to the kind of vehicle they drive—and arm-twist people into buying vehicles they can’t afford."

Mr. McCarthy may have needed to arm-twist and cajole to pass legislation that will go nowhere in the Senate, but his ability to keep his members together — including soliciting “yes” votes from right-wing members who proudly boasted that they had never before voted to increase the debt ceiling — amounted to a significant, if symbolic, achievement.