Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said Friday that he was confident the debt ceiling would be raised in September and had assurances from both parties in Congress.
He also backed President Trump’s stance that Congress should pass a “clean” bill that increases the government’s borrowing limit, which is the longtime Democratic position and bucks conservatives who want curbs on spending in exchange for authorizing more debt.
“The most important issue [is] the debt ceiling will be raised in September,” Mr. Mnuchin told reporters at the White House. “I have had discussions with the leaders of both parties in the House and Senate and we are all on the same page. The government intends to pay its debts and the debt ceiling will be raised.”
However, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi signaled this week that her Democrats can’t be counted on to help pass the debt ceiling bill.
The government has been bumping up against the nearly $20 trillion debt ceiling for months, and the Treasury Department has been using “extraordinary measures” to keep from breaching it. The department says it will run out of room by Sept. 29.
If Congress doesn’t extend the credit line by then, the government would have to default on some obligations.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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