Democrats Pursue Doomed Debt Move, With Emergency Option in Hand
- Lawmakers could take up Democrats-only option on federal debt
- House passes measure, but it’s headed for defeat in Senate
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Democrats are pursuing an almost certainly doomed strategy to avert a government shutdown and stave off a federal default, raising the likelihood of financial-market stresses that will ultimately force U.S. lawmakers’ hands.
While the House on Tuesday night approved a bill to keep the federal government funded past the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30 and to suspend the debt limit for more than a year, blanket Republican opposition means it’s assured of failing in the Senate.