And now, a message from Google. The spirit of innovation is deeply ingrained in America,

and Google is helping Americans innovate in ways both big and small. Central Texas Regional Mobility

Authority is using Google AI to create smarter tolling systems and improve traffic flow for Texans.

This is a new era of American Innovation. Find out more at G.com slash American Innovation. Good morning. I'm Anna Palmer. And I'm Jake

Sherman. And welcome to The Daily Punch, brought to you by Punch Bowl News. It's Monday, August 9th, 2021.

Let's get into the mix. Here are your Washington headlines of the day. Number one, Janet Yellen's

new guidance on raising the debt limit. It might surprise you. Number two, the latest in the Senate on

infrastructure. We're finally going towards that final passage. And number three, what's

happening in the house on infrastructure and the potential calendar change that could keep us

busy later this month? All right, Jake, let's get into the number one story, raising the debt

limit. Janet Yellen is sending a letter this morning, and it has some surprising guidance, I thought.

Yeah, Janet Yellen, the Treasury Secretary, is suggesting that Congress use basically regular order to pass the debt limit.

So there's two options here.

You can either pass the debt limit using reconciliation, which only requires a simple

majority in the Senate. That would be easy. Or you could use regular order, which would require

60 to overcome a Republican filibuster. And that is what, that is what Yellen is suggesting that

they use. I don't get this, to be honest with you.

I think this is going to spark a huge showdown over just a huge showdown, period.

I don't understand why they're doing this.

I'm sure there is good reason here.

But very strange.

Just one more note, then I'll kick it over to you, Anna, but I, the Senate was in session

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