House plans to act on debt cap

House Democrats said Friday they planned to take action next week to suspend the cap on the government’s borrowing authority, and the White House ratcheted up pressure on Republicans by warning state and local governments that severe cuts lie ahead if the measure fails in the Senate.

Disaster relief, Medicaid, infrastructure grants, school money and other programs face drastic cuts if the debt limit stays in place, the White House warned in a fact sheet to local governments aimed at putting pressure on Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who has vowed to not support an increase. The debt limit, the amount of money Congress allows the Treasury to borrow, was suspended three times during the Trump administration.