A group of 43 Republicans in the U.S. Senate on Saturday said they “oppose raising the debt ceiling without substantive spending and budget reforms,” coalescing around their House counterparts ahead of the White House meeting over the federal debt ceiling amid a monthslong political standoff.
“The Senate Republican conference is united behind the House Republican conference in support of spending cuts and structural budget reform as a starting point for negotiations on the debt ceiling,” the group of Republicans, led by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said in a letter addressed to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Calif.).
Almost all Republicans in the Senate signed the letter, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)….