Debt Limit Crisis Looms as Lawmakers Fail to Reach Deal.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries faces the challenge of selling a budget deal negotiated between President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy to fellow Democrats without much input from his end. With less than a week from a potential default, Jeffries has no idea how many votes he might ultimately have to deliver for such a package because he has heard nothing from Republicans about how many defections they expect if a measure hits the floor. The situation is particularly galling to Democrats because while it is hard-right Republicans who have pushed the nation to the brink of default by refusing to raise the debt limit without spending cuts, they are all but certain to oppose any final compromise.