TRUMP ENDORSES SHORT-TERM DEBT LIMIT INCREASE
Leaders applaud extension added to bill giving aid to Harvey victims, as they aim to avoid federal shutdown
President Trump endorsed a short-term increase in the nation’s debt limit suggested by Democratic leaders Wednesday, a strategy that puts him at odds with many in his own party — including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.
Ryan earlier Wednesday said lumping multiple bills together on a short-term basis was “ridiculous” — but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced he’d adopt the strategy after Trump backed it.
In a joint statement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that in a Wednesday White House meeting, “the President and congressional leadership agreed to pass aid for (Hurricane) Harvey, an extension of the debt limit, and a continuing resolution both to Dec. 15, all together. Both sides have every intention of avoiding default in December and look forward to working together on the many issues before us.”
Trump confirmed the deal to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way to North Dakota for a speech on tax reform.
“We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. We agreed to a threemonth extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred — very important — always we’ll agree on debt ceiling automatically because of the importance of it,” the president said. “Also on
“We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred — very important.”
President Trump
the CRs and also on Harvey, which now we’re going to be adding something because of what’s going on in Florida — but we had a very good meeting. We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good.”
“The nation can breathe a sigh of relief, we’ve avoided default, avoided government shutdown — both of which would have caused damage far into the future,” Schumer said. “It was a good moment of bipartisanship.”
The federal government is running out of borrowing authority.
The House passed a $7.9 billion aid package Wednesday for victims of Hurricane Harvey, and the Senate is expected to attach a debt-limit extension to that bill. House conservatives want to tie the debt limit to spending cuts.
Congress also has to pass a spending bill by Sept. 30 to keep the government open, but Trump’s deal with the Democrats describes a short-term “continuing resolution” that simply extends current funding levels for a few months while Congress works out a spending deal.
That deal would create a December deadline for the debt limit and the spending package.
McConnell said that he would be supportive of the plan and intended to offer it as an amendment to the flood relief bill that passed the House on Wednesday.
Trump’s “feeling was that we needed to come together to not create a picture of divisiveness at a time of genuine national crisis,” McConnell said.
Conservatives lawmakers and organizations slammed the deal.
“The deal as reported is absolutely absurd. Congress and the administration are exploiting people who lost their homes and businesses to a historic hurricane simply in an effort to continue the status quo in Washington,” said Dan Holler, of the conservative Heritage Action for America.