House Democrats say they have 213 votes for ‘discharge petition’ option in debt-limit standoff

All 213 Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives support a “discharge petition” that could end the debt-ceiling standoff, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark told reporters on Wednesday. It would need to get the support of five House Republicans in order to pass the 435-seat chamber. A discharge petition is a parliamentary procedure that lets lawmakers bypass leadership, which is critical since the House is currently run by Republicans.