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Sat 30 Jul 2011 11:06 AM

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Bitter divide remains as US debt crisis deadline looms

Democrats, Republicans still at loggerheads over deficit cutting plan; deadline on Tuesday

Bitter divide remains as US debt crisis deadline looms
The National Debt Clock, a billboard-size digital display showing the increasing US debt, near an office of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)on Sixth Avenue July 26, 2011 in New York. (AFP/Getty Images)

Democrats sought
to forge a last-ditch compromise with Republicans on Friday by offering a
concession to avoid a crippling US default, but a bitter divide
remained before Tuesday's deadline to raise the country's debt ceiling.

The Republican-controlled House
of Representatives approved a deficit-cutting plan and the
Democratic-led Senate quickly rejected it, moves that underscored the
ideological differences but also opened the way to start negotiating a

The back-to-back votes broke
weeks of political inertia in efforts to lift the $14.3 trillion (8.70
trillion pounds) US debt limit by Tuesday after which the world's

But hopes for a quick
resolution faded as the Senate adjourned for the evening after a round
of parliamentary manoeuvring and finger-pointing, setting the stage for a
tense weekend in Washington.

Democratic Leader Harry Reid ceded some ground late on Friday when he
revised his own deficit-reduction proposal to incorporate parts of a
"backup plan" first proposed by the Senate's top Republican, Mitch

The new version would
essentially give President Barack Obama the authority -- and the blame
-- to raise the debt ceiling in three stages to cover US borrowing


Despite the pressing deadline, progress towards an agreement did not appear imminent.

are refusing to negotiate with us and all they do is talk," Reid told
reporters after the Senate vote, which like the House tally hewed to
party lines.

Delays and procedural
deal and send it to Obama's desk before Monday night at the earliest,
injecting further uncertainty into already rattled global financial

Even if a late deal can
rating, a once-unthinkable event for world financial markets that would
push up the U.S. cost of borrowing while the economy is still

World leaders have
been stunned by the dysfunction in Washington. World Bank President

largest foreign creditor, China, has repeatedly urged Washington to
said the United States had been "kidnapped" by "dangerously
irresponsible" politics.

street ended its worst week in a year on Friday. The U.S. dollar plunged
to a record low against the Swiss franc, which is viewed by investors
as a safe haven currency.

short-term lending markets, investors dumped holdings over fears about
six-month highs.

The US Treasury
warned Wall Street firms it might delay or cancel a major round of bond
sales if Congress does not raise the debt limit in time.

sides in Congress have been at impasse for weeks with lawmakers locked
in a blame game that has raised the risk of a potentially devastating
default, which could plunge America back into recession and trigger
economic turmoil globally.

gathered pace on Friday when Republicans pushed a deficit-cutting plan
through the House by a vote of 218-to-210 after the party's leaders

legislation, denounced earlier by Obama who had admonished lawmakers to
stop wasting time and find a way "out of this mess," was always doomed
to defeat in the Senate where all of Obama's Democrats had vowed to vote
against it.

The Senate defeated the measure, 59-to-41.

are moving a bit closer," said Axel Merk, president of Merk Investments
in Palo Alto, California. "We'll get an agreement, ultimately, but the
drama is going to continue to play out."

Senate Democrats had hoped to work out a compromise with Republicans on Friday but said McConnell refused to negotiate.

after defeating the House bill pushed by Republican Speaker John
Boehner, Reid sought to sway some Senate Republicans by offering a
revised version of his plan that included elements from one McConnell
proposed weeks ago.

Through a
complex legislative procedure, Obama would be able to increase the debt
ceiling by $2.4 trillion in three stages but Republicans would have
political cover by not having to explicitly approve each case. The White
House has not ruled out accepting such a provision.

aides said McConnell wants to negotiate directly with the White House
to ensure that Democrats will be on board with any final deal.

will find out how many Republicans back his plan in a procedural vote
scheduled for 9am UAE time on Sunday. If all 53
Democrats back the plan they will need at least seven Republicans to
clear the 60-vote threshold.

A vote on its final passage, which requires a simple majority, could come on Monday morning.

failure on Thursday to quell a rebellion among Tea Party-affiliated
conservatives in his party exposed a rift among Republicans that has
hindered efforts to reach a deal.

Boehner brought enough of his recalcitrant Republicans onboard on
Friday with a retooled plan that included a requirement for Congress to
states for ratification, a long-time core demand of fiscal

Boehner's two-step
plan would have cut spending initially by about $900 billion and lift

Reid has said a short-term solution is unacceptable and is pushing for $2.2 trillion in cuts over 10 years.

agency Moody's signalled it probably will not downgrade the United
raise the debt ceiling, but a cut could come in the medium term. It said
bondholders after Tuesday.

ratings agency Standard & Poor's has warned it could cut the rating
soon if there is no deal to address the underlying budget problems.