The government-funding deal was the beginning, not the end, of the spending showdown: The GOP is now raising its demands with regards to increasing the debt ceiling. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Wednesday his party “will not grant [Democrats’] request for a debt limit increase” without spending cuts or budget reforms. Cantor says he’s serious about sending the United States into default if his demands are not met. Republicans are demanding several possible attachments to the debt vote: statutory spending caps, a balanced-budget amendment, or a two-thirds vote requirement for raising taxes and debt-limit increases. Democrats want a “clean” vote.
