10/06/2021

Biden Says Changing Filibuster Rules to Raise Debt Ceiling is a ‘Real Possibility’

Changing filibuster rules would require support from all Senate Democrats

Late Tuesday, President Joe Biden said it is a "real possibility" that Senate Democrats could seek to revise the chamber's filibuster rules to overcome a Republican blockade on raising the debt ceiling.

Such a major change could give Democrats the ability to stave off a potential, calamitous default roughly two weeks before a critical fiscal deadline — but only if all party lawmakers agree to loosen the Senate’s typical 60-vote threshold in a way some have been disinclined to do for months.

The debt ceiling refers to the government’s ability to borrow to pay its bills. Lawmakers have until Oct. 18 to raise the cap by a specific amount or suspend it until a particular date — or else the U.S. government could face a crisis so stark that the Biden administration has warned it could thrust the country back into a recession.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.