The Senate of the United State has approved a bill to help the country avoid a default on its debt in the next few weeks. In the most consequential vote of the night, 11 Republicans joined all fifty Democrats to provide the minimum sixty votes needed to end debate and move the bill to final passage, which required a simple majority.
None of the Republicans who voted to end debate also then voted to pass the final bill. But for that, Democrats needed only 50 votes, because at least one Republican, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, was not present
Late Thursday night, the Senate voted 50-48 along party lines to raise the federal government's debt limit by USD 480 billion, which would permit the Treasury Department to meet obligations through December 3, as per to reports. The vote came after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced on Thursday morning that he had reached an agreement with Republicans to extend the debt limit into December.
The short-term debt limit increase still needs a vote in the House of Representatives, which is currently on a breakthrough next week, according to local media.As part of a bipartisan budget deal enacted in August 2019, Congress suspended the debt limit through July 31.
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