Mar 9, 2017

Treasury Dept asks Congress to raise the debt ceiling

Dan Primack, author of Pro Rata

Associated Press

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin today sent a letter to House leaders, asking that they vote to raise the federal debt ceiling:

"Beginning in Thursday, March 16, 2017, the outstanding debt of the United States will be at the statutory limit. At that time, Treasury anticipates that it will need to start taking certain extraordinary measures in order to temporarily prevent the United States from defaulting on its obligations."

This would suggest that President Trump also supports an increase to the debt ceiling, although Sean Spicer punted on the questions when asked during today's White House press briefing.

History: Mick Mulvaney, Trump's director of the Office of Management and Budget, voted against raising the debt ceiling while serving as a U.S. congressman from South Carolina. Trump also has expressed a willingness, in the past, to let the U.S. effectively default on its debt:

Go deeper

Axios
9 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Trump refuses to answer question on whether he supports QAnon conspiracy theory

President Trump on Friday refused to answer a direct question on whether or not he supports the QAnon conspiracy theory during a press briefing.

Why it matters: Trump congratulated Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who vocally supports the conspiracy theory, on her victory in a House primary runoff earlier this week — illustrating how the once-fringe conspiracy theory has gained ground within his party.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Ursula Perano
29 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Postal workers' union endorses Biden

Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The National Association of Letter Carriers, the union representing roughly 300,000 current and former postal workers, on Friday endorsed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election, calling him "a fierce ally and defender of the U.S. Postal Service," reports NBC News.

Why it matters: The endorsement comes as President Trump has vowed to block additional funding for the USPS in the next coronavirus stimulus package, linking it to his continued baseless claims that increased mail-in voting will lead to widespread voter fraud.

Go deeper (<1 min. read)Arrow
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian
2 hours ago - World

Lawmakers demand answers from World Bank on Xinjiang loan

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

U.S. lawmakers are demanding answers from the World Bank about its continued operation of a $50 million loan program in Xinjiang, following Axios reporting on the loans.

Why it matters: The Chinese government is currently waging a campaign of cultural and demographic genocide against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, in northwest China. The lawmakers contend that the recipients of the loans may be complicit in that repression.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow