Healthier politics?

24 September 2013 By Daniel Indiviglio

Republicans who want to torpedo Obamacare are off track. And blocking an increase in the federal debt limit proved bad politics in 2011. But trading a higher borrowing cap for fixes to recent cuts and long-term retirement benefits could help the economy and the GOP’s image.

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U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew urged lawmakers to act on raising the nation’s borrowing limit at the Economic Club of Washington on Sept. 17. He said that the government will be within $50 billion of hitting its $16.7 trillion borrowing limit in mid-October.
President Barack Obama has indicated that he won’t negotiate over increasing the nation’s borrowing limit. However, Republicans appear poised to demand some concession from the White House for agreeing to increase the nation’s borrowing. During the week of Sept. 9, they considered tying the debt ceiling hike to defunding the president’s signature healthcare reform, but didn’t bring the proposal to a vote because more fiscally conservative lawmakers felt the plan did not go far enough.

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