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Why The Debt Limit Is Looming Over The Infrastructure Bill And Social Policy Package

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) during a hearing before Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of Senate Appropriations Committee at Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) during a hearing before Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of Senate Appropriations Committee at Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

The four-month-long stalemate over the fate of two big bills in Congress continues. Progressives refuse to budge on infrastructure until there’s movement on a social policy package. But Democratic Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin say the $3.5 trillion price tag is a nonstarter. And with a razor-thin majority in the Senate, Democrats have little room for error.

Party leaders say Oct. 31 is the new deadline to act on these bills. But another huge deadline is on the horizon.

The debt limit looms over both bills. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says we’ll face an “economic catastrophe” if we don’t raise the limit within the next two weeks.

With the party’s agenda on the line, can Democrats get it all done?

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