Debt limit fight sparks proposals to block pay for Congress.

House Democrats are collecting signatures for a discharge petition to bring a clean debt ceiling increase forward for a vote that doesn't include spending cuts for the federal government. As of Thursday afternoon, 210 House Democrats had signed the discharge petition in the hopes of forcing a vote on a debt ceiling increase. Republicans have rejected the idea of a clean debt ceiling increase without preconditions. A discharge petition requires a simple majority of 218 votes, but Democrats only have 213 seats.