Shutdown risk grows as both parties balk on debt ceiling hike

Both Democrats and Republicans in Congress are poised to stand in the way of lifting the nation's borrowing limit next month, increasing the chances of real problems for House and Senate leaders as they try to increase the debt ceiling by an end-of-September deadline.

House and Senate conservatives have long insisted that debt ceiling increases be accompanied by spending reforms, and that hasn't changed this year, even under a Republican president who is insisting on a "clean" debt ceiling increase.

The House Freedom Caucus, a conservative bloc of more than three dozen GOP lawmakers, has signaled it wants spending cuts in exchange for supporting a debt ceiling increase, but at minimum will push for reforms to how federal dollars are spent as the debt ceiling approaches.

Potentially more troubling for the prospects of a debt ceiling increase, the largest group of conservatives, the Republican Study Committee, announced Tuesday it will also oppose a straight increase without spending cuts.

That means if a "clean" debt ceiling hike is to happen, it will need support from a majority of Democrats. But this year, that may not happen.