Conceivably, the need to raise the statutorydebtceiling by Julycouldbetheoccasion forsuch abreakdown, andthere are people in the Republican partycrazy enough to hope so.
As US federal debt approaches its statutoryceiling, confidence on Capitol Hill is growing that a deal to raise the limit will soon be struck, avoiding the theoretical possibility of default.
The decisions on spending will now be taken concurrently with negotiations on the raising of the statutory debt ceiling which was reached on 31 December, with extraordinary measures expected to last until the end of February.