WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - President Donald Trump has purportedly agreed to support a measure that would raise the debt ceiling and fund the government for three months.
The short-term debt limit and government funding measure would be attached to a bill providing aid for victims of Hurricane Harvey.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., released a statement announcing the agreement on the combined bill after meeting with Trump.
'In the meeting, the President and Congressional leadership agreed to pass aid for Harvey, an extension of the debt limit, and a continuing resolution both to December 15, all together,' Pelosi and Schumer said.
They added, 'Both sides have every intention of avoiding default in December and look forward to working together on the many issues before us.'
The statement by Pelosi and Schumer comes even though House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., attacked the idea of a short-term debt limit increase just hours earlier.
Speaking to reporters, Ryan described a Democratic plan to combine a Hurricane Harvey aid package with a short-term debt limit increase as 'ridiculous and disgraceful' as well as 'unworkable.'
Ryan accused the Democratic leaders of playing politics with the debt ceiling and jeopardizing the federal response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
'They want to play politics with the debt ceiling?' Ryan said. 'That will strand the aid that we need to bring to the victims of these storms that have occurred or are about to occur.'
The House subsequently voted 419 to 3 in favor of a standalone bill providing $7.85 billion in disaster relief for Harvey.
Previous reports indicated the strategy called for the Senate to subsequently add a debt ceiling increase to the aid package and send the bill back to the House.
The combined legislation outlined by Pelosi and Schumer would set up a potentially dangerous fiscal cliff near the end of the year.
The short-term bill will likely allow Democrats to maintain some leverage in negotiations over a longer-term solution, as Republican leaders are expected to need their support to raise the debt ceiling due to opposition from conservatives.
(Photo: Marc Nozell)
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