Reid Working on Backup Plan to Lift Ceiling, Cut Spending
Senate Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid is working on a backup plan to increase the debt ceiling by $2.5 trillion and cut spending by the same amount in the event there is no further progress in talks between Democratic and Republican congressional leaders, a Senate Democratic aide said Sunday.
The plan would have no new tax increases, the aide said.
The $2.5 trillion increase in the debt limit would be enough to support federal spending through 2012, avoiding the need to revisit the issue next year.
The Senate Democratic leader could brief some members of his caucus on the plan ...