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Speaker John Boehner is facing growing pressure to start work this week on a bill to increase the federal borrowing limit as the debt ceiling deadline fast approaches amid the continuing uncertainty over who will succeed the Ohio Republican at the end of the month. ... Republicans in both the House and Senate have pushed for changes to mandatory spending programs — such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — in exchange for a long-term debt limit increase. But time for those negotiations is running short and Democrats, including President Barack Obama, have made clear they will only support a clean increase. (Snell, 10/19)

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) is more open than ever to becoming the next House speaker, following a contemplative week at home with his family. But before he makes a final decision, friends say, he will seek assurance from Republican hard-liners that he will have their full support should he win the gavel. (10/20)

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) is throwing up roadblocks to the confirmation of two top Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) nominees over what he describes as “systematic failures” of an ObamaCare program for start-up insurers. The Senate has two pending nominees for high-level HHS positions: Andy Slavitt to be head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and Karen DeSalvo to be an assistant secretary. (Ferris, 10/19)