White House Begins Debt-Ceiling Push With Congress Briefings

Democrats say GOP bears shared budget-deficit responsibility
Most GOP senators say they’ll vote against raising ceiling

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021. The departure of the last U.S. military plane from Afghanistan left the region facing uncertainty, with the Taliban seeking to cement control of a nation shattered by two decades of war and an economy long dependent on foreign aid and opium sales.Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg

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By Erik Wasson

September 1, 2021 at 4:35 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The White House on Wednesday stepped up efforts to get Congress to raise the federal debt ceiling, holding a public-relations strategy meeting with Senate Democratic aides ahead of a similar session with House staff planned for Thursday.

National Economic Council Deputy Director Bharat Ramamurti and Treasury counselor Ben Harris conveyed the message to Democrats that it’s the shared responsibility of Republicans to avoid a U.S. payment default -- reinforcing a narrative that Democrats have been reciting for weeks.