Pressure mounts to resolve debt ceiling debate before recess

With the Bush administration warning the federal government's borrowing authority will run out Friday, the pressure is on House and Senate leaders to resolve a standoff this week on passing an increase in the federal debt ceiling before adjourning for the July Fourth recess.

That debate takes place against a backdrop of action on the delayed beginning of fiscal 2003 appropriations bills, long-awaited movement on prescription drug benefit bills and the aftermath of a House stumble on a Bush administration priority-presidential trade negotiating authority.

The issues in the debt ceiling debate have been unchanged for several weeks as the deadline has approached-the House approved a debt ceiling in its fiscal 2002 supplemental, but the Senate did not follow suit, and the Senate approved a stand-alone ceiling increase, challenging the House to do the same. House leaders found some running room last week when conservatives indicated they would prefer a stand-alone debt limit bill over Senate demands for more spending. Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas, said leaders also would consider a stand-alone bill, but House Democrats would have to participate in the effort.

While grappling with the divisive debt ceiling issue, the House and Senate also will begin moving on fiscal 2003 appropriations bills. Appropriators have a busy schedule this week. The full House Appropriations Committee is scheduled to mark up both the fiscal 2003 Defense and Military Construction measures Monday and bring them to the floor by midweek.

Also, several Appropriations subcommittee markups are scheduled this week. The Interior bill will be marked up on Tuesday, followed by Treasury-Postal and Agriculture bills on Wednesday and the Legislative Branch measure on Thursday. In the Senate, two bills-Interior and Military Construction-may be considered in subcommittee before the recess, although the markups will not occur until later in the week.