Politico reports this morning:
Senate Democrats released a budget on Monday that marks their first step toward bypassing the filibuster in order to pass a $3.5 trillion package of social welfare initiatives like expanded Medicare, free community college and green cards for some immigrants.
The majority party has been working for months toward this legislative kickoff, but the budget’s release will kickstart a new series of challenges. One big obstacle the budget creates comes from an item that is not included — action on the debt limit. With Senate Republicans warning they won’t give Democrats the votes needed to approach the issue on a bipartisan basis, the exclusion of debt limit language amounts to a political gamble by President Joe Biden’s party.
“A slew of committees” will mark up the resolution before any final action sometime after Sept. 15. If Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer can keep their 50 Senate Democrats in line, they’ll have the votes to pass it via reconciliation with a simple majority, with Vice President Kamala Harris providing the tie-breaking vote.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged Congress today not to default on the country’s debt. But if Democrats take the reconciliation route with their companion package to the $1 trillion Biden infrastructure bill, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell threatens to deny any Republican votes to raise the debt limit, and that will take 60 votes.
Nice country ya got there. Be a shame if “irreparable harm” came to it.