Democrats planned to seek a vote to fund the government and suspend the debt limit.
Government funding tied to raising limits
WASHINGTON — Democratic congressional leaders backed by the White House announced Monday they would push ahead with a vote to fund the government and suspend the debt limit.
Congress is rushing headlong into an all-too-familiar stalemate: The federal government faces a shutdown if funding stops at the end of the fiscal year, Sept. 30. At the same time, the U.S. risks defaulting on its accumulated debt load if the borrowing limits are not waived or adjusted.
All this while Democratic lawmakers are laboring to shoulder President Joe Biden’s massive $3.5 trillion “build back better” agenda through the House and Senate.
From the White House, the president backed the congressional leaders’ plan to hold the votes.
“This is a bipartisan responsibility, just as it was under my predecessor,” Biden said in a tweet. “Blocking it would be inexcusable.”
Senate Republican leader Mitch Mcconnell said he’s not about to help pay off past debts when Biden is about to pile on more with a “reckless” tax and spending package.
“Since Democrats decided to go it alone, they will not get Senate Republicans’ help with raising the debt limit. I’ve explained this clearly and consistently for over two months,” Mcconnell said Monday on the Senate floor.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats launched an uphill fight Monday to rescue their drive to help millions of immigrants remain legally in the U.S. a day after the Senate parliamentarian said their proposal must fall from the $3.5 trillion measure.
“It saddened me, it frustrated me, it angered me,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters about parliamentarian Elizabeth Macdonough’s ruling.
“But make no mistake, the fight continues.”