Democrats tie government funding to debt bill, GOP digs in

By LISA MASCARO and KEVIN FREKING
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic congressional leaders backed by the White House have announced they will push ahead with a vote to fund the government and suspend the debt limit. They are all but daring Republicans to quit opposing the package or risk a fiscal crisis. Congress must fund the government in the next 10 days, or risk a federal shutdown. It needs to raise the nation’s borrowing limit, or the U.S. will default on its debt. All of this is happening while Democratic lawmakers are laboring to move President Joe Biden’s massive $3.5 trillion “build back better” agenda.