Thune questions GOP backing for debt-ceiling hike in budget reconciliation plan

Senate Majority Leader John Thune expressed doubt that enough GOP senators support President Donald Trump’s push to raise the debt ceiling within the latest party-line spending bill. He warned that adding a debt-limit provision would complicate the $95 billion budget framework, which already contains defense spending and voter-integrity funding, and was not part of the House’s budget resolution. Thune said the move would introduce uncertainty into the reconciliation effort, which must clear a narrow vote threshold before the midterms.

He floated the idea of addressing the debt ceiling after the November elections, possibly in the first half of next year. Trump has also urged Thune to keep the Senate in session to pass the SAVE America Act, which seeks to eliminate the filibuster, but Thune reiterated that the lack of a path for the voter-ID bill is due to Senate math, not scheduling. The White House is reportedly pushing to expand the budget bill beyond the debt limit, potentially involving multiple committees.