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                      US House Votes to Raise Debt Ceiling

   The U.S. House of Representatives has narrowly passed a measure raising
   the government`s borrowing authority for one year in order to avoid a
   default that was looming at the end of this month.
   The 221-201 vote Tuesday came hours after the leader of the
   Republican-controlled House of Representatives, Speaker John Boehner,
   said he would allow a vote on increasing the country`s debt ceiling
   beyond the current $17.3 trillion level without attaching new spending
   conditions.
   The government`s borrowing authority was set to run out by the end of
   February, threatening to leave the U.S. without enough money to pay its
   bills.
   Boehner had hoped to extend that authority by a year while also
   repealing a recent reduction in the cost-of-living benefits for
   military retirees. But he conceded that not enough Republicans would
   vote for any extension in the borrowing authority. Boehner blamed U.S.
   President Barack Obama, a Democrat, for balking at negotiating new
   spending cuts.
   "This is a lost opportunity for America. We`re on a spending trajectory
   that`s unsustainable. The president knows it. Every Democrat, and every
   Republican in this town knows it. And it has to be dealt with. And so
   it`s a disappointing moment, I can tell you that."
   Boehner said Republicans would provide "a minimum number of votes" in
   the House, along with a large number of Democrats, to approve an
   increase in the borrowing authority.
   Only 28 of the House`s 232 Republicans voted for the measure.
   The Democratic-controlled U.S. Senate is also likely to approve the
   increase in the debt ceiling, sending the measure to Mr. Obama for his
   signature.
   Mr. Obama has often said he will not negotiate over increasing the
   country`s borrowing authority. He says the country needs to borrow more
   to pay for spending already approved by Congress, while his
   congressional opponents have sought to impose spending cuts in exchange
   for increasing the borrowing authority.
   During his five-year presidency, the looming threat of a default has
   often left Mr. Obama and lawmakers in tangled last-minute negotiations.
   Spending and debt disputes led to last October`s 16-day partial
   government shutdown.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-house-votes-to-raise-debt-ceiling/1849459.html