The House passes a short-term fix to the looming debt ceiling crisis

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A view of the U.S. Capitol at dawn Oct. 6.

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Democrats weigh how to shrink their social spending plan and still make big change

The December deadline was a compromise between Republicans and Democrats, but the path for a longer-term solution remains unclear.

Republicans insist that Democrats use the Senate reconciliation process to raise the debt ceiling on a party-line basis, but Democrats have balked at the idea, noting how Republicans were willing to raise the borrowing limit three times under former President Donald Trump.

Dec. 3 is also when the government’s funding is set to run out.

The debt fight comes as Democrats are also pushing to invest trillions of dollars in a number of social and climate programs. That battle has its own set of problems, as the progressive wing of the party wants more ambitious spending while party centrists are seeking a slimmer package to push through Congress.