Debt-limit vote, GOP governors' border visit, Dodgers vs. Cardinals: 5 things to know Wednesday

Editors
·5 min read

Senate to vote on debt limit procedural rule

As Congress faces the threat of a debt ceiling crisis, the Senate is scheduled to vote on a procedural rule Wednesday that would allow a measure suspending the debt limit until December 2022 to reach the floor for a vote. However, if anyone objects to that rule, it would require 60 votes to overcome the filibuster – a tall order considering there are only 50 Democrats in the Senate and no Republicans have indicated they would join them. Earlier this week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned President Joe Biden in a letter to pursue a different course on raising the debt limit. Although the two haven't spoken about the letter, White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden “is always open to having conversation."

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GOP governors to visit US-Mexico border

Ten Republican governors will tour the U.S.-Mexico border Wednesday amid an influx of record numbers of migrants. The office of Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Monday announced he plans to take a boat tour of the Rio Grande River with the Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey are among the other governors taking part. Migrants have been drawn to the border to escape the aftermath of natural disasters and corruption and violence in their home countries, as well as by the perception that President Joe Biden will be more welcoming than his predecessor, Donald Trump. In September, footage of Border Patrol agents on horseback chasing Haitian migrants at the border in Texas drew widespread criticism.

Ahead of hearing, HBCU leaders say Biden's latest plan falls far short

Leaders of historically black colleges and universities say President Joe Biden's budget package falls far short of how much the historically underfunded institutions need. The aid, currently penciled in for $1.45 billion to be distributed over a period of four years beginning in 2022, is much less than supporters anticipated, putting HBCUs at a disadvantage and risking Biden's support from a key constituency. And the final number for HBCUs could be even lower: The president's original $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan is under intense negotiations in Congress, where key moderates want a more modest plan closer to $2 trillion. The presidents of the United Negro College Fund's 37 member institutions sent a letter to congressional leaders last week to urge Congress to pass the bill with more provisions for HBCUs. All of these concerns come ahead of a Wednesday hearing by a House subcommittee on higher education: "Homecoming: The Historical Roots and Continued Contributions of HBCUs."

Women's soccer league resumes play amid fallout from abuse allegations

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) will resume games Wednesday after agreeing not to hold play over the weekend in light of a devastating report from The Athletic that now-former league coach Paul Riley had emotionally abused and sexually coerced his players. The day after the report surfaced, NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird was forced out. "We have taken the weekend's pause to evaluate. We acknowledge that we will not process the pain of the last several days in one weekend or one week," the NWSL Players Association said in a statement. "We have made the decision to proceed with Wednesday night's scheduled competition, but our demands will be forthcoming."

Dodgers and Cardinals face off in NL Wild Card game

The MLB playoffs will continue Wednesday when the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals take the field for the National League Wild Card game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles (8:10 p.m. ET, TBS). Both teams are in a groove entering the win-or-go -home matchup, as the Dodgers have won nine straight games to close the season and the Cardinals have won 19 of their last 22 and that included a historic 17-game win streak. Los Angeles held a slight edge over St. Louis in the regular season series, winning four out of seven games the two teams played. The winner of Wednesday's game will face the San Francisco Giants, who won an MLB-best 107 games and the NL West division title, in the National League Division Series.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Debt-limit vote, GOP governor border visit: 5 things to know Wednesday