Hurricane Relief To Be Tied to Debt Ceiling Hike

Politico: “President Trump’s White House will move Wednesday to quash growing GOP opposition to a strategy to raise the debt ceiling as part of a Hurricane Harvey relief package.”

“Administration officials will inform lawmakers that they will not be able to pay FEMA disaster claims for victims without a simultaneous increase of the debt ceiling, the sources said. House lawmakers are also being told by GOP leaders that Trump will give a full-throated endorsement to their plan to pair the two bills and send them to the Oval Office this week — without a penny worth of spending cuts long demanded by conservatives and even Republican leadership allies.”

Playbook: “The Senate plans to amend the Harvey relief bill with a debt-limit increase that will last through the end of 2018. Why? Most lawmakers would rather not have to vote to lift the debt limit more than once this Congress. There is talk of also attaching a continuing resolution, which would keep government open, but aides and lawmakers we spoke to say they do not think they’ll have enough time to get it ready this week.”