[WJW]

Looking from outside the USA: If they don't cooperate then the budget won't be approved at all, no? It's all good and well not to want to cooperate with people that don't act in good faith, but since the other party has almost half the seats in the senate and a majority in the house of reps then how do you govern at all?

[firebird84]

The budget is already approved, the debt limit has nothing to do with it, it's just a cudgel with which one party bludgeons the other. It serves no other purpose.