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Republicans propose to cut spending on Biden prioritiesSign up to receive First Thing – our daily briefing by emailIt’s been brewing for months, but with the release of the House Republican proposal to raise the debt ceiling yesterday, it’s safe to say that the latest skirmish in the perennial Washington standoff has officially kicked off.There’s a lot to say about the debt ceiling, but here’s the gist: the United States, somewhat uniquely, places a legal limit on how much debt the government can take on. The US borrows continuously and that limit was reached in January, meaning everything the government does – from social security payments to the salaries of government workers – is being paid for by the cash the government has on hand. As soon as early June, by some estimates, those funds will be exhausted, meaning the US won’t be able to pay its bills. Of chief concern are the payments it must make on its outstanding debt – if American defaults on one of those, it could have major consequences for the economy.The House will vote on GOP legislation to ban transgender athletes from women’s athletics at schools and colleges, with speaker Kevin McCarthy holding a press conference about the bill around 11.15am eastern time, after its expected passage.A Republican senator has introduced a motion of no confidence in homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a frequent target of Republican ire over migrant arrivals at the southern border.Donald Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn is scheduled to be interviewed today by Jack Smith, the special prosecutor looking into the former president’s possession of classified documents and involvement in trying to overturn the 2020 election. Continue reading...