In a letter to House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Secretary Lew wrote lawmakers will cause irreparable harm to the economy if they don’t raise the country’s borrowing limit before the middle of October. The nation reached its statutory debt limit earlier this year and began to use “extraordinary measures” to make necessary payments. Those measures will be exhausted in October, according to Secretary Lew.
If Congress doesn’t increase the debt limit, Secretary Lew wrote the government’s ability to make payments including Medicare reimbursements to hospitals and other healthcare providers will be threatened.
House Republicans have been considering refusing to increase the country’s debt limit unless the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is delayed. Congressional representatives are currently on recess for August and will return in September.
More Articles on PPACA Delay Efforts:
Republicans Consider Connecting PPACA Delay to Debt Limit
House Approves Legislation Preventing IRS From Enforcing Health Reform
Poll Finds Voters Oppose Government Shutdown Over PPACA
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