CompaniesBIO

WASHINGTON — A bipartisan group of House lawmakers released an outline Wednesday for raising the debt ceiling , providing a competing option to the emerging Republican-only plan. The proposal is vague. It outsources the task of finding ways to reduce the deficit in the short term to appropriators in a government funding bill and kicks the job of proposing long-term solutions to a new independent commission. It was released as a one-page summary. The plan by the Problem Solvers Caucus — led by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J. — would suspend the debt ceiling through Dec. 31, 2023, allowing the U.S. to pay its bills and buy time for congressional leaders to negotiate a spending bill with unspecified “deficit stabilization controls.” In addition, the lawmakers propose to create a fiscal commission “to review and recommend a package to stabilize long-term deficits and debt” by Dec. 31, 2024, which will get an expedited up-or-down vote in Congress by Feb. 28, 20...

WASHINGTON — Sen. Ted Cruz built his reputation as a conservative flamethrower after he led the government shutdown over Obamacare funding in 2013, cultivating the brand in his presidential campaign and beyond over the last decade. Now, Cruz, R-Texas, is seeking to show some bipartisan credentials as he runs for re-election in a state that is becoming more competitive, which gave him a scare in his last race. In a wide-ranging interview in his Capitol Hill office, Cruz highlighted his work as the top Republican on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and how he has teamed with Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., on legislation to require that consumers be informed if their refrigerators or other home appliances have recording capabilities. Cruz touted his work with Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., on a bipartisan bill to fight a potential ban on new or existing gas stoves. And he spoke of his unlikely partnerships with two other Senate Democrats on the Commerce Committee — Ben Ray L...