House Speaker Pelosi says she's seeking budget, debt deal before August recess

[July 12, 2019]    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday she is seeking to finalize a deal to raise the debt ceiling and resolve an impasse over the budget before the August congressional break, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks to reporters as she walks to her office at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. July 9, 2019. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

She made the remarks to reporters amid warnings from the treasury secretary that the government could begin running out of money to pay its bills in September, the Post reported.

Pelosi's comments on Thursday evening were her first indication she expected lawmakers to move more quickly than a vote in September, which is when both issues would need to be addressed.

Asked about budget and debt negotiations during a news conference earlier on Thursday, she said, "We'll just see about the timing. We're having our back-and-forth conversation."

Without a spending deal in place for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, deep reductions in funding for defense and non-defense programs would be triggered. Both Republicans and Democrats want to avoid that fate.

Both political parties have also indicated they would not let Washington default on its debt later this year.

(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Eric Beech and Richard Chang)

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