The House of Representatives of the US Congress, in which the Democratic Party has a majority, last night adopted a legislative proposal, previously adopted in the Senate, which temporarily raises the limit up to which the federal government can borrow to 28,9 trillion dollars until the beginning of December, reported Glas. America.
Voting was by party affiliation - all Democrats supported the proposal, while all Republicans were against it.
Democrats, who hold a narrow majority in the lower house of Congress, approved a $480 billion increase in the debt ceiling with 219 votes in favor and 206 against.
President Joe Biden is expected to sign the bill this Sunday, ahead of the Oct. 18 deadline when the Treasury Department estimates that without congressional action, it will no longer be able to repay its debts.
The passage of the proposal in Congress eased, at least temporarily, fears that the United States - the world's largest economy - would find itself in a situation where it could not repay its debt for the first time.
However, members of Congress will face a new deadline to raise the debt limit in just seven weeks. At that time, the temporary budget for funding government agencies also expires, so Congress will have to prevent their partial closure as well.
Last Sunday, the Senate voted to raise the debt ceiling, while Republicans are trying to connect the measure with President Biden's plans to pass two bills worth several trillions of dollars - for investment in infrastructure and social services, Voice of America reports.
11 Republican senators voted for the bill on raising the borrowing limit along with the Democrats. But Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he would not support another cap increase in December.
During the Trump administration, the debt limit has been raised three times with the support of Democrats, despite their opposition to the Republican tax cut bill and some of the former president's budget measures, including funding for a wall on the border with Mexico. All these measures contributed to the increase in debt.
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