Harvey victim funds may be delayed without debt limit increase: Mnuchin

[RoosGirl]

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Sunday that relief funding for hurricane-ravaged areas of Texas might be delayed if the U.S. Congress does not quickly increase the government’s debt limit.

“Without raising the debt limit, I am not comfortable that we will get money to Texas this month to rebuild,” Mnuchin said on Fox News Sunday. U.S. President Donald Trump has requested nearly $8 billion for relief for areas hit by Hurricane Harvey.

The United States is on track to hit its mandated debt limit by the end of the month unless Congress moves to increase it.

Senator Roy Blunt, a junior member of the Senate’s Republican leadership, said it was possible lawmakers could tie legislation raising the U.S. debt ceiling - an unpopular step among some Republican conservatives - to measures providing financial aid for recovery from Harvey.

“That’s one way to do it,” Blunt said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” Congressional leaders would have to look at whether the votes are there, he said.

Continued - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-harvey-mnuchin/harvey-victim-funds-may-be-delayed-without-debt-limit-increase-mnuchin-idUSKCN1BE0TP

[RoosGirl]

Yeah, we get it, both the Democrats and the Republicans want to screw us some more. Raise that debt limits fellas!

[bigheadfred]

Yeah, we get it, both the Democrats and the Republicans want to screw us some more. Raise that debt limits fellas!

Ya gotta have a scuba outfit to swim through their crap these days.

[RoosGirl]

Isn't it cute how they make it sound like they're at odds with each other about raising the debt limit?

[IsailedawayfromFR]

So the guy is willing to blackmail others?  What a POS.

[Smokin Joe]

So the guy is willing to blackmail others?  What a POS.

I think the short list is the people who are NOT willing to use Harvey Aid for leverage to fund other stuff.

NOT ONE OF THEM HAS SUGGESTED TAKING THE MONEY FROM ANYTHING ELSE--EXCEPT THE WALL.

[RoosGirl]

I think the short list is the people who are NOT willing to use Harvey Aid for leverage to fund other stuff.

NOT ONE OF THEM HAS SUGGESTED TAKING THE MONEY FROM ANYTHING ELSE--EXCEPT THE WALL.

And how can they justify taking money away from funding the wall, funding a HUGE Harvey payout *and* raising the debt limit?

[austingirl]

And how can they justify taking money away from funding the wall, funding a HUGE Harvey payout *and* raising the debt limit?

How can they justify most of what they do?

[RoosGirl]

How can they justify most of what they do?

True, but, funding a wall is another opportunity to blackmail a vote for more pork for their state.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

This is why a debt limit will never control spending.

There will always be another 'crisis'

What gets my blood boiling is they assume every other wacky thing that money is spent on is already committed and cannot be cut.