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U.S. NEWS Friday 25 august 2017
Trump attacks Republican leaders over debt ceiling ‘mess’

By KEN THOMAS Paul Ryan to attach the
CATHERINE LUCEY legislation increasing the
Associated Press borrowing limit — a toxic
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fan- vote for many Republicans
ning the flames of GOP — to popular military veter-
discord, President Donald ans’ legislation that he re-
Trump accused Republi- cently signed. The idea was
can congressional leaders floated in July but never
Thursday of botching ef- gained steam in Congress.
forts to avoid an unprec- Trump said that because
edented default on the na- legislators didn’t follow that
tional debt. “Could have strategy, “now we have a
been so easy-now a mess!” big deal with Dems holding
Trump tweeted. them up (as usual) on Debt
The president’s sharp words Ceiling approval.”
underscored the perilous Republicans control both
state of play as Congress Congress and the White
heads into the fall without House, placing the burden
a clear plan to take care on them to ensure the gov-
of its most important piece ernment doesn’t default. In
of business: If it does not in- the past, Democrats largely
crease the nation’s $19.9 provided the votes for debt
trillion borrowing limit, the limit increases. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. speaks during the Kentucky Farm Bureau Country
government could be un- The Treasury Department Ham Breakfast, Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017, in Louisville, Ky. President Donald Trump lashed out at
able to pay its bills, jarring has said the debt ceiling Republican leaders in Congress, suggesting efforts to increase the country’s borrowing limit to
financial markets and lead- needs to be raised by Sept. avoid an economic-rattling default on the nation’s debt are “a mess!”
ing to other harsh conse- 29 to avoid potential de- (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
quences. fault on government ob-
Trump unleashed his lat- ligations including Social
est criticism of the GOP’s Security and interest pay-
congressional leadership in ments.
a series of morning tweets House Speaker Paul Ryan,
that also included a re- playing down Trump’s no-
buke of Majority Leader tion of a debt limit “mess,”
Mitch McConnell for his in- said flatly that Congress
ability to get the Senate to would “pass legislation to
repeal the Obama health make sure that we pay our
care law. The harsh posts debts.”
were fresh evidence of the “I’m not worried that’s not
president’s fraying relations going to get done because
with fellow Republicans just it’s going to get done,” he
when the White House and said during an appear-
Capitol Hill most need to ance in Washington state.
be working in sync. McConnell likewise said
Critiquing GOP legislative earlier in the week that
strategy, Trump tweeted there was “zero chance,
that he had asked McCo- no chance, we won’t raise
nnell and House Speaker the debt ceiling.”q

US to limit visas from 4 nations

that won’t take back deportees

By MATTHEW LEE the return of individuals the
JILL COLVIN U.S. tries to remove. Un-
Associated Press der federal law, Secretary
WASHINGTON (AP) — The of State Rex Tillerson can
Trump administration is stop all or specific types of
poised to impose visa re- visas from being issued to
strictions on four Asian and such nations. Tillerson isn’t
African nations refusing likely to ban all visas, the
to take back their citizens officials said. Rather, he
who’ve been deported would target government
from the United States, of- officials and their families,
ficials said Thursday. The as the U.S. has done previ-
officials said Cambodia, Er- ously. The officials were not
itrea, Guinea and Sierra Le- authorized to discuss the
one would soon be subject matter publicly and spoke
to sanctions. They’re meant on condition of anonymity.
to coax “recalcitrant” They wouldn’t say when Til-
countries into accepting lerson would act.q