Another day, another doomed attempt at lifting the nation's debt ceiling.
On Wednesday, Senate Republicans plan to block Democrats from enacting a measure that would suspend the borrowing limit into 2022, forcing the left to find "another path forward just 12 days before the U.S. government could run out of flexibility to pay its bills," reports The Washington Post. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has already tried twice to vote on debt ceiling measures, but Republicans refuse to cooperate.
"They basically want us to be aiders and abettors to their reckless spending and tax policies, and we just aren't going to do it," said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
"We're not in the mood to facilitate their difficult job, to make their difficult job easier," added Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.).
And when asked what might happen if Democrats' fears come true, and "Republicans' procedural demands do prevent Congress from raising the debt ceiling by the Oct. 18 deadline," writes the Post, Cramer said "that's too bad."
"It's just really, really unfortunate that they're that irresponsible." Cramer later said he did not think the debt ceiling would be breached, per the Post.
Republicans want Democrats to lift the limit on their own via reconciliation; Democrats argue that "arduous" process will take too long, and otherwise requires they raise the limit to a certain amount rather than simply suspend it. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has maintained his opposition for weeks.
"It's not in dispute the debt ceiling needs to be addressed. The only issue is who does it," said McConnell on Tuesday.
One thing's for sure — time is running out. And if Democrats' want to accommodate their spending bill, said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), "they've got to provide the votes to get the debt limit increased."