House Freedom Caucus narrows down debt ceiling demands

The conservative House Freedom Caucus is focusing in on one key demand for the debt ceiling talks that are expected to develop over the next few weeks, one that focuses on restricting borrowing and spending as the government gets closer to the debt ceiling.

In July, the group of about 40 conservatives laid out three possible demands they could make in talks to raise the debt ceiling, which are expected to conclude in September because the government is already at its borrowing limit.

Those options were $250 billion in spending cuts, a bill to repeal Obamacare, and a third possibility that aims to change the way the government spends and borrows money as it approaches the debt ceiling.

A House aide told the Washington Examiner that there is now little expectation that the Freedom Caucus could realistically demand such a large spending cut and the idea of passing any kind of healthcare reform bill seems dead given the Senate's failure in July.

That leaves the third option as the "most realistic," and the aide said the group of conservatives are expected to insist on spending and borrowing management changes as a condition of getting their vote in September.