Senate GOP Delay Movement On Debt Limit Bill With Defence Spending Requests

Reports from Capitol Hill suggest that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is facing considerable Republican opposition to the House-passed debt limit bill due to concerns over a real-dollar cut to the Pentagon budget.

• Punchbowl News' Jake Sherman reports that Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee, "says the top-line number for national defense in the Biden-McCarthy bill is 'completely inadequate.'"
• According to Sherman, Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC), "is seeking a commitment for a Ukraine spending supplemental.
• "Republican Minority Whip John Thune (R-DS) says the senate is 'a ways away' from a time agreement 'at the moment.' A final vote on the debt limit bill is 'trending more towards tomorrow.'"
• Sherman reported a short time ago that Schumer "is huddling on the floor w Lindsey Graham and Thune. Graham is demanding commitments on a defense supplemental."
• Erik Wasson at Bloomberg: "Senators are working on a statement from leaders to do a defense supplemental bill outside the spending caps in debt deal. That statement could unlock final votes on debt deal."