Scoop: White House eyes leveraging debt ceiling "X-date" to pass budget

The White House is eyeing this summer's debt ceiling's "X-date" as a forcing mechanism to push the "one big, beautiful bill" through Congress."Gun to the head, the whole agenda, and the country's credit rating and global depression all rolled into one," says a White House official, describing their approach.Why it matters: President Trump's partnership with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) partnership has led to some early wins. But there's a growing realization that the next steps are way more difficult.It's also an acknowledgement that the timeline for passing budget reconciliation through Congress is closer to the end of the summer, not the beginning.No one knows the precise date that the federal government will breach the $36.1 trillion debt limit, but the latest CBO estimates project the X-date will land in August or September.Two key White House officials — Kevin Hassett and James Braid — traveled to the Senate on Monday to meet with Finance Committee members to discuss the contours of the reconciliation package.Zoom in: Since January, House leaders have wanted to include a debt ceiling hike in the reconciliation package.Senate GOP leaders embraced the same approach last week, with Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) saying that Trump was also on board.Now the White House is going a step further. And their eyes are wide open to the massive risks if they fail, both to Trump's presidency and the global economy."President Trump believes the debt extension should occur as soon as possible during reconciliation," a White House official tells Axios.The bottom line: Lifting the debt ceiling is never an easy vote for Republicans.Johnson learned that lesson in December, when Elon Musk successfully killed legislation that would have suspended it.Back in 2023, 71 House Republicans voted against the last debt ceiling increase, which was negotiated by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (and contributed to his ouster.)Back in 2019, 139 Republicans voted against raising the debt ceiling despite Trump being in the White House.

The White House is eyeing this summer's debt ceiling's "X-date" as a forcing mechanism to push the "one big, beautiful bill" through Congress."Gun to the head, the whole agenda, and the country's credit rating and global depression all rolled into one," says a White House official, describing their approach.Why it matters: President Trump's partnership with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.

) partnership has led to some early wins. But there's a growing realization that the next steps are way more difficult.It's also an acknowledgement that the timeline for passing budget reconciliation through Congress is closer to the end of the summer, not the beginning.

No one knows the precise date that the federal government will breach the $36.1 trillion debt limit, but the latest CBO estimates project the X-date will land in August or September.Two key White House officials — Kevin Hassett and James Braid — traveled to the Senate on Monday to meet with Finance Committee members to discuss the contours of the reconciliation package.

Zoom in: Since January, House leaders have wanted to include a debt ceiling hike in the reconciliation package.Senate GOP leaders embraced the same approach last week, with Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) saying that Trump was also on board.

Now the White House is going a step further. And their eyes are wide open to the massive risks if they fail, both to Trump's presidency and the global economy."President Trump believes the debt extension should occur as soon as possible during reconciliation," a White House official tells Axios.

The bottom line: Lifting the debt ceiling is never an easy vote for Republicans.Johnson learned that lesson in December, when Elon Musk successfully killed legislation that would have suspended it.Back in 2023, 71 House Republicans voted against the last debt ceiling increase, which was negotiated by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (and contributed to his ouster.

)Back in 2019, 139 Republicans voted against raising the debt ceiling despite Trump being in the White House..