By JM Rieger and Niels Lesniewski

Senate Democrats have no interest in discussing a budget deal until the threat of a debt default is off the table. The current continuing resolution keeping the government funded will run out on Dec. 11, and while budget talks have been underway, that issue, including the identification of offsets for a potential two-year agreement, seems to be taking a backseat to the more urgent debt situation. “Until we get the debt ceiling done, I don’t think there’s going to be anything done [of] a serious nature,” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said. “On the debt ceiling, it is non-negotiable. It is straight up-or-down vote on extending the debt of this country. It’s important, and I remind everyone this is not for some new program that somebody dreamed up. It’s not for new taxes, it’s for taking care of the bills that we’ve already approved.” Read more.