House to Vote on 3-Month Debt Ceiling Bump

House Republicans have decided to vote on a bill to raise the debt ceiling for three months—provided the Senate agrees to pass a budget by the April 15 statutory deadline, John Boehner announced in his closing remarks for his caucus's three-day Williamsburg retreat. "Before there is any long-term debt limit increase, a budget should be passed that cuts spending," he said. "The Democratic-controlled Senate has failed to pass a budget for four years. That is a shameful run that needs to end."

The House will also put forward a proposal preventing Congress from being paid if the House and Senate can't pass a budget resolution. "The principle is simple: no budget, no pay," Boehner said. While Democrats have already poo-pooed a short-term increase, Republicans are hoping to create a package they can't reasonably refuse, the Hill reports. "We welcome the fact that Republicans are slowly backtracking off their threats," a Democratic leadership aide says. "It shows they are realizing how little leverage they have."