Susan Cornwell, Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters] – Senate Democrats plan to attempt to extend U.S. Government’s borrowing authority again Wednesday, to prevent a disaster default. This is after President Joe Biden suggested changing the rules for the chamber in order to circumvent a Republican roadblock.

Republicans have been refusing to raise the $28.4 trillion self-imposed borrowing limit for over a month. Instead, they are trying to make Democrats use another parliamentary maneuver in order to win political points.

Democrats look at every option as they try to find ways to fund the government’s expenses in the remaining two weeks.

Biden indicated Tuesday that Democrats may use their slim majority to abandon the Senate filibuster rules. The rule requires the Senate’s 100 members (60) to consent to the passage of most legislation.

Biden is a former senator who had opposed previous changes to filibuster. This was intended to maintain stability in government through elections cycles.

If Democrats continue to follow through on their promises, the debt ceiling could be suspended before Oct. 18’s deadline. This would eliminate the possibility of a catastrophic default, and let Democrats focus their attention on two massive spending bills, which make up most of Biden’s domestic agenda.

Many Democrats have long argued that the Senate should dump the filibuster entirely https://www.reuters.com/world/us/what-is-us-senate-filibuster-why-is-everyone-talking-about-it-2021-03-10, saying it prevents progress on climate change, voting rights and other priorities. Already, the chamber allows federal judges (including Supreme Court justices) to be approved by a simple majority vote.

Joe Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema, and other Centrist Democratic senators have repeatedly stated that they won’t abandon the filibuster. This would mean the party is unable to get the votes it needs to repeal the rule. The senators could not be reached to comment whether Biden’s statements would alter their mind.

On Tuesday, Democratic Senators John Hickenlooper (Democratic) and Ron Wyden (Democratic) said that they are open to dropping filibuster requirements for debt-limit votes. Biden had asked Manchin for his thoughts on the matter, but he refused to respond.

On Wednesday, the Senate would hold a procedural vote. After the results of the November elections which will determine the control of Congress over the next two-years, they would then be able to debate a bill suspending the debt limit to December 2022.

That passed the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives last week but Republicans have stalled it in the Senate with the filibuster.

Some government services, like the delivery of Social Security benefits checks to the elderly, could be stopped if this is not resolved quickly.

A close call is likely to be disastrous. Two days prior to the deadline for reaching the borrowing limit, Congress settled a dispute over the debt ceiling. This caused stock prices to plummet and led to the first ever credit downgrade of U.S. debt.

Moody’s Investors Service (NYSE:) stated Tuesday that it believes Washington will increase the debt limit.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner stated that Congress is already at risk of the U.S.’s creditworthiness.

He said to reporters Tuesday that “we’re in danger right now.”