WASHINGTON -- The nation's debt ceiling would be extended through the end of 2014 BuzzFeed has learned under a new "clean" debt limit measure drafted by Senate Democrats.
The measure includes no spending or other debt control measures, and would simply provide the president authority to pay the nation's debts, according to the draft.
Extending the debt ceiling through the end of next year should, in theory, allow Congress to kick the issue into the post-election period when cooler heads might avoid a repeat of the current crisis.
But given partisan tensions and an unwillingness on the part of Tea Party activists to even consider a compromise with President Obama that chance seems remote.
The bill has little chance of becoming law: a Senate GOP aide dismissed the measure, claiming it could add as much as $1 trillion to the debt.
And even if it were to pass the Senate, there's virtually no chance House Republicans will bring it to the floor.
But the bill, and any votes or filibusters of it, will likely provide Democrats with political fodder to hammer Republicans as obstructionists.