President Trump has stunned Republican lawmakers with his abrupt decision to strike a deal with Democrats for a short-term increase in the debt ceiling tied to Hurricane Harvey relief money, though Congress nevertheless is moving quickly toward a vote that could come by the end of the week.
The president made the deal during a White House meeting with the top congressional leaders of both parties.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had wanted a longer-term increase in the debt ceiling that would also cover hurricane relief funding. Instead, Trump sided with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in agreeing to a three-month deal that would both fund the government and raise the debt ceiling through mid-December, attached to Harvey funds.
The deal averts the threat of a shutdown or even default for now, but virtually guarantees a congressional showdown before the end of the year.
A source told Fox News that Republican leadership was blindsided by what happened.
Fox News is told the meeting had reached a point where the two sides were moving toward an “agree to disagree” position, when Trump jumped in and agreed …
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