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Senate Moves Ahead With Bill To Raise Debt Ceiling

MARY LOUISE KELLY, Host:

It's MORNING EDITION from NPR News. I'm Mary Louise Kelly.

STEVE INSKEEP, Host:

The Senate is moving ahead with a bill to raise the debt ceiling this morning. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid says this is the last chance to save the nation from default.

HARRY REID: No matter how long Republicans delay, the deadline will not move. We have hours, I repeat, hours to act. That's why, by the end of the day, today, I must take action on the Senate's compromised legislation.

LOUISE KELLY: Right after Senator Reid made that statement, the top Senate Republican, Mitch Mcconnell, had sharp words of his own.

MITCH MCCONNELL: How 'bout this? How 'bout a plan from Democrats in Washington that can pass both chambers, prevent the crisis and protect Americans from worsening economy. I would suggest to my friends on the other side, this morning, they start taking their responsibilities as a majority party a little more seriously. Because at this point, the only people who are disregarding the consequences of default are Senate Democrats; not the Republicans in the House, but Senate Democrats.

LOUISE KELLY: While NPR's David Welna is at the Capitol, and he joins us now, live. Good morning, David.

DAVID WELNA: Good morning, Mary Louise.

LOUISE KELLY: So both those comments were coming out of the Senate just a few moments ago. Tell us a little bit more about where things stand now, at the Senate.

WELNA: Instead, Reid implored Republicans to begin negotiating with him on his proposal, which extends the debt ceiling until after next year's elections. Otherwise it's quite similar to Boehner's proposal. And to help make changes that would win enough support to move that bill forward, saying it's now the only viable for Congress to prevent default. But he warned that he would not accept any change that would reduce the amount of the debt ceiling to only six months, although he did not say anything about a, perhaps, one year extension. But Mitch McConnell did not sound like he was willing to begin those negotiations right now.

LOUISE KELLY: Where does this leave things? Are we headed for a big showdown or a big sputter out on Capitol Hill, today and over the weekend?

WELNA: Well, I think the House Republicans still have the intension of bringing up their bill, possibly tweaked a bit, to try to pick up a few of these recalcitrant Republicans who intended to oppose it and see if they can pass it. It would be sent over to the Senate if that happened. But as Majority leader Reid said this morning, even if it gets over here, he is not going to let it move forward. So, he's putting his bill out as the last resort. And he says, if he brings it up tonight, the final vote on it could happen by Tuesday morning, August 2nd. That's the deadline.

LOUISE KELLY: Which would be the deadline, right?

WELNA: Exactly. And then the House would have to take it up and pass it. And I guess the thinking is that, presented with the choice of passing a bill that they don't really like - or facing default the next day - many House Republicans would join House Democrats and pass that bill. But that's the Democratic perspective on it.

LOUISE KELLY: All right. Thank you, David.

WELNA: You're welcome, Mary Louise.

LOUISE KELLY: That's NPR's David Welna, updating us on the latest action from the Hill. Pesident Obama is expected to speak in just a few moments, giving his perspective from the White House, on this debt standoff still playing out. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

David Welna is NPR's national security correspondent.