参议院共和党人坚决反对提高联邦债务限额，尽管民主党领导人周一宣布他们会把加薪联系起来借款限额是政府必须通过的一项融资措施。
政府资金将于9月底到期，政府官员预计美国可能在未来几周内违约。白宫警告称，前所未有的违约可能会对经济造成冲击，并引发衰退。
少数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔(Mitch McConnell)几周来一直反对提高债务上限，认为控制国会两院的民主党人应该为此举负责。但参议院民主党人在特朗普政府时期与共和党人合作，多次提高债务上限，他们表示这是两党的责任。
众议院议长南希·佩洛西和参议院多数党领袖查克·舒默(Chuck Schumer)周一寻求加大对共和党的压力，将增加联邦支出限额与一项旨在让政府在即将到来的财年结束后保持开放的决议联系起来。该决议包括援助阿富汗难民和为自然灾害救济提供紧急资金。
两位领导人在一份声明中写道:“美国人民期待我们的共和党同事履行他们的责任，偿还他们自豪地帮助承担的债务。”声明指出，前总统唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)执政期间通过了9080亿美元的COVID救济法案。
就在民主党宣布这两项措施将被捆绑在一起的瞬间，麦康奈尔给这一计划泼了一盆冷水。在周一下午的发言中，他重申了长期以来反对提高债务上限的立场。
麦康奈尔说，共和党人会支持延长政府拨款，但如果包括提高债务上限，就不会支持。
麦康奈尔周一表示:“既然民主党人决定单干，他们就不会得到参议院共和党人在提高债务上限方面的帮助。
几乎所有参议院共和党人人都站在麦康奈尔一边，发誓投票反对提高上限，因为他们反对民主党目前正在制定的额外大规模支出措施。
他们最大的反对是3.5万亿美元支出措施这包括乔·拜登总统的许多议程项目，并且不受参议院正常60票门槛的限制。共和党人认为，民主党人可以在没有任何共和党支持的情况下通过该法案，提高限额应该与该法案挂钩。
犹他州共和党参议员米特·罗姆尼周一表示，他对提高债务上限的投票“绝对不会”
罗姆尼说:“民主党人说，他们不需要我们的选票来花他们想花的钱，但他们确实需要我们的选票来买单。“那只狗不会打猎。”
“我不会同意任何让查克·舒默和民主党更容易让我们的孩子破产的事情，”森说特德·克鲁兹其他共和党人周一也表示，他们不会支持包括提高债务上限在内的政府资金缺口。
民主党党鞭迪克·德宾指责共和党人的反对是出于政治动机，并表示他们没有为自己的行为负责。
“我当然希望参议员麦康奈尔不会出于政治怨恨而损害美国及其经济，”杜宾说。“如果他不站出来为他和他的成员在特朗普政府中支持的事情承担责任，这表明这完全是一种政治努力。”
但当被问及如果共和党反对，民主党会怎么做时，杜宾很坦率:“我不知道。”
预计在规则委员会处理此事后，众议院将于周二投票提高债务上限，并为政府提供资金。舒默说，参议院民主党人将在未来几周举行投票，提高限额，但如果没有至少10名共和党人支持这项措施，除了纳入3.5万亿美元的一揽子计划之外，几乎没有什么可以做的。如果美国在未来几周内出现债务违约，这将是历史上首次出现这种情况。美国的信用将受到冲击，市场可能会受到严重冲击。
至少有一名共和党人，路易斯安那州的参议员约翰·肯尼迪说，他将与民主党人一起投票支持这项措施，因为它将包括为他的家乡州提供飓风救济。然而，他预测该法案仍将达不到60票。
在应对迫在眉睫的政府融资截止日期和潜在的信贷违约之际，民主党议员们也在如何推进3.5万亿美元的社会政策一揽子计划和参议院两党基础设施协议上存在分歧。
进步人士誓言，在他们对更大一揽子计划的政策要求得到满足之前，不会在众议院投票支持参议院的基础设施协议。但是众议院和参议院的温和派威胁要推翻拜登的主要政策方案，因为其规模和个别条款。
纽约州众议员卡罗琳·马洛尼(Carolyn Maloney)谈到国会面前的待办事项清单时说:“我从未见过这样的事情。“不知道结局会怎样。”
Republicans dig in on debt-limit standoff despite Democratic effort to mount pressure
Senate Republicans are holding firm against a hike to the federal debt limit, even as Democratic leaders announced Monday that theywould link the raisein the borrowing limit to a must-pass government funding measure.
Government funding is set to expire at the end of September and administration officials are projecting that the United States could default on its credit in the coming weeks. The White House has warned an unprecedented default could send shockwaves through the economy and trigger a recession.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for weeks has dug in against support of a hike to the debt limit, arguing that Democrats, who control both chambers of Congress, should be held responsible for the move. But Senate Democrats worked with Republicans under the Trump administration to raise the debt limit on multiple occasions, and they said it's a bipartisan responsibility.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Monday looked to ratchet up the pressure on Republicans by linking the increase in the federal spending limit to a resolution aimed at keeping the government open past a fast-approaching end of the fiscal year. That resolution includes aid for Afghan refugees and emergency funding for natural disaster relief.
"The American people expect our Republican colleagues to live up to their responsibilities and make good on the debts they proudly helped incur," the leaders wrote in a statement, pointing to $908 billion COVID relief legislation passed under former President Donald Trump.
Within moments of the Democratic announcement that the two measures would be tied, McConnell threw cold water on the plan. In floor remarks Monday afternoon, he doubled down on his long-held opposition to raising the debt limit.
Republicans would support an extension to government funding, McConnell said, but not if it includes a lift to the debt ceiling.
"Since Democrats decided to go it alone they will not get Senate Republican's help with raising the debt limit," McConnell said Monday.
Almost all Senate Republicans are in line behind McConnell, vowing to vote against a raise to the limit because they oppose additional massive spending measures that Democrats are currently working to craft.
Their biggest opposition is to a $3.5 trillionspending measurethat encompasses many of President Joe Biden's agenda items and which is exempt from the normal 60-vote threshold in the Senate. Democrats can pass it without any GOP support, and a raise in the limit should be tied to that bill, Republicans argue.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said Monday his vote on raising the debt limit would be "absolutely no."
"The Democrats say they don't need our votes to spend money they want to spend, but they do need our votes to pay for it," Romney said. "That dog won't hunt."
"I will not be consenting to anything that makes it easier for Chuck Schumer and the Democrats to bankrupt our kids," Sen.Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said, joining a chorus of other Republicans who also said Monday they won't support a government funding stop-gap that includes a raise to the debt limit.
Democratic Whip Dick Durbin accused Republicans of being politically motivated in their opposition and said they are failing to take responsibility for their actions.
"I certainly hope Sen. McConnell is not going to do damage to America and its economy out of an act of political spite," Durbin said. "If he won't stand up and take responsibility for things which he and his members supported in the Trump administration it shows this is a totally political effort."
But pressed on what Democrats would do if Republican opposition held, Durbin was frank: "I don't know."
The House is expected to vote to raise the debt limit and fund government on Tuesday, after the Rules Committee takes up the matter. Schumer said Democrats in the Senate will hold a vote to raise the limit in the coming weeks, but without at least 10 Republicans to support the measure, there's little that can be done aside from inclusion in the $3.5 trillion package. If the United States defaults on its debt in the coming weeks, it will be the first time in history this occurs. U.S. creditworthiness would take a hit, and markets could be severely impacted.
At least one Republican, Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana, said he would vote with Democrats on the measure because it would include hurricane relief for his home state. However he predicted that the bill would still fall short of 60 votes.
As they grapple with a looming government funding deadline and potential credit default, Democratic lawmakers are also at odds over how to advance their $3.5 trillion social policy package and the Senate's bipartisan infrastructure deal.
Progressives have vowed to withhold votes in the House for the Senate infrastructure agreement until their policy demands are met for the larger package. But moderates in the House and Senate have threatened to sink Biden's major policy package over its scale and individual provisions.
"I've never seen anything like this," Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., said of the to-do list before Congress. "I don't know how's it going to end."
