The US Senate is to vote on a bill to raise the nation’s debt limit, one day after the House of Representatives backed it and hours before a deadline.
Monday’s vote in the House appears to have averted the prospect of the first full-scale US federal debt default.
Members of the 100-seat Senate will vote at midday (16:00 GMT) on Tuesday. If approved it will be signed into law by President Barac
The bill has the backing of Republican and Democratic leaders in the Senate and is thought likely to win the support of the 60 senators it needs to pass.
In the House on Monday evening the bill passed by a clear margin of 269 votes to 161.
Despite ongoing reservations about how the bill would fare with conservative members of the House, the bill won the backing of 175 Republicans, with 66 voting against.
Democrats were more evenly split – 95 for and 95 against.
The vote was notable for the reappearance in the House of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords for the first time since she was shot in the head in Tuscon, Arizona in January.
Ms Giffords – who has undergone a number of operations – caught lawmakers by surprise when she appeared on the floor of the House on Monday evening.
There was a standing ovation and embraces for the Democratic representative, who voted in favour of raising the debt ceiling.
k Obama.
The deal ties a $2.4tn (£1.5tn) debt increase to spending cuts.
The Senate vote will take place barely 12 hours before Washington is due – according to the US treasury department – to cease to be able to meet all its bills.
