Poll: US faces downgrade
THE US is set to lose its top-notch triple-A credit rating from at least one leading agency, according to 30 out of 53 economists polled by Reuters.
The shocking survey result was revealed last night, as talks over saving the government from a self-imposed default remained splintered by acrimonious briefings.
Republican House speaker John Boehner’s scheme to raise the debt ceiling was attacked by both sides, with President Obama’s aides threatening to veto the short-term plan.
Boehner had sounded confident earlier in the day, arguing that the plan could pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Yet White House officials insist the President will not accept a short-term measure.
And even some Republicans rounded on the plan for not including a requirement for future government budgets to be balanced.